Music played on April 28, 2019

Host: Luc

There was a full house on Sunday on a cool afternoon in brilliant sunshine.  The arrival of spring seemed to have inspired a number of the players to play some challenging works.

We had a five-way tie in the composer competition: Scriabin, Handel, Chopin, Rachmaninoff and Beethoven with two pieces played for each of them.  I am awarding the prize, with the large cash award, to the newcomer on our list: Rachmaninoff.

Round 1:

#	Performer	Work
1.	Gregory	Magnetic Rag, by Scott Joplin
2.	Erin	Suite II, mvt. I, by G. F. Handel
3.	John	Song Medley: Morning has broken, chariots of fire, (own arrangement)
4.	Caryn	Nocturne, op.54 #4, by E. Grieg
5.	Jackie	The Doll’s complaint, by Cesar Franck
6.	Christopher	Elegie, by S. Rachmaninoff
7.	Mary Lou	intermezzo Op. 76 #7, by J. Brahms
8.	Gared	Berceuse op57, by F. Chopin
9.	Jeff	Etude Tableaux Op. 33 #7, by S. Rachmaninoff
10.	Adrian	Sonata #18 m. 2 (op. 31 #3) by L von Beethoven
11.	Luc	Suite in F (Adagio), by G. F. Handel

Round 2:

#	Performer	Work
1.	Jeff	2 Preludes Op. 11 #12 and Op. 17 #3, by A. Scriabin
2.	Erin	March, by P. I. Tchaikovsky
3.	Mary Lou	Nuances Op. 56 #3, by A. Scirabin
4.	Jackie	Sonatina in G major, by M. Clementi
5.	Gared	Nocturne in C minor Op. 48 #1, by F. Chopin
6.	Christopher	Op. 35, by Dustin O’Halloran
7.	John	Hymn-Nearer my God to thee
8.	Adrian	(piano part of) Trio Op 97 (Archduke), M. 1, by L. van Beethoven
9.	Luc	Hornpipe, by Henry Purcell

Music played on March 17, 2019

Host: Gregory

There was a full house on Sunday, enjoying a sunny but cold St. Patrick’s Day.  Four of the pieces had an Irish theme or composer, in honor of the day.  As is often the case, pieces ranged from modern to Baroque.

There was not clear winner of the composer competition: Bach and Beethoven both had two pieces played while Scirabin only had one :-).  So, in honour of St., Patrick's day, we will extend the composer prize and award it to Irish music in its many forms.

Round 1:

#	Performer	Work
1.	Gregory	Weeping Willow, by Scott Joplin
2.	Gordon	Sonata No. 14 in C Major, K. 457, 3rd movement, by WA Mozart
3.	Christopher	Elegie, by S. Rachmaninoff
4.	Kathy	Prelude and Fugue in D Minor (Well-tempered clavier), by JS Bach
5.	Jane	le Sapin, by J. Sibelius
6.	Karin	Intermezzo Op. 76 No. 7, by J Brahms
7.	Nancy	Argentine Tango, by John Thompson
8.	John	Two Irish folk songs (traditional)
9.	Caryn	Sonata in C Major, by M. Clementi
10.	Adrian	(piano part of) Trio Op. 97, IV Movement, by L von Beethoven
11.	Lorraine	Old Irish Blessing, by Dennis Agay

Round 2:

#	Performer	Work
1.	Gregory	To a Wild Rose, by E. MacDowell
2.	Nancy & Karin (duet)	At Nightfall, by B. Godard
3.	Gordon	Prelude Op. 51 No. 2, by A. Scirabin
4.	Christopher	Op 14, by Dustin O'Halloran
5.	Jane	Nocturne in C# Minor No. 20, Op. Posth by F. Chopin
6.	John	Improvisation on Slane (Irish traditional)
7.	Adrian	Sonata No. 24, 2nd movement, by L. von Beethoven
8.	Lorraine	Prelude in D Major, BWV 850, by JS Bach

Music Played, February 17, 2019

An elite group of four performers showed up at John's house for an afternoon of piano playing. Due to the small group size, everyone got a chance to play three pieces.  A warning for future meetings - come prepared with repertoire!

Given the small group today, no composer had more than one piece played.  Therefore, the most popular composer prize will be given to a member of the OPG and host of the event: John.

John plays improvisations and personal compositions based on traditional folk music and hymns.  it is overdue to recognize a different way of participating in the group.

Round 1:

#	Performer	Work
1.	Gregory	Bethena, a concert waltz, by Scott Joplin
2.	Gordon	Sonata op. 49#2, by L. Van Beethoven
3.	Perry	Nocturne Op. 48 #1, by F. Chopin
4.	John	2 Russian folk songs (traditional)

Round 2:

#	Performer	Work
1.	Gregory	Misty, by Erroll Garner
2.	Gordon	Chorus of morning glories, by John Woodsworth
3.	John	Free improvisation

Round 3:

#	Performer	Work
1.	Gregory	Bethena, a concert waltz, by Scott Joplin
2.	Gordon	Prelude Op. 31 #4, by A. Scriabin
3.	John	Yield not to temptation. (old Anglican hymn)

Meeting was cancelled on January 20, 2019

The snow got us again :-(

Due to a heavy snowfall, the planned session at Jackie's had to be cancelled. Hopefully, February weather will be kinder to us and we will have a great meeting at John's place on February 17.

Music played, December 9, 2018

Eleven enthusiastic pianists showed up at Jeff's new condo for an afternoon of fun.  We all got to enjoy the wonderful view across the Ottawa River and over to the Gatineau Park. Then, we had the chance to play Jeff's newly renovated Steinway - a real treat.

The music played was 'epic' in scope - the first round lasted nearly 90  minutes.  We had sonatas, a violin sonata with pre-recorded violin solo part (thanks to Sachie's daughter)  and a range of romantic era pieces.  We also welcomed first time member Perry.

The race for the most popular composer was very exciting this month. Debussy took an early lead with a strong sprint off the starting line, only to be tied in the mid-race by Schubert who pulled into the lead by the end of the first round. However, Scriabin saved the best for last, making a strong closing run to tie Schubert for the lead at the finish line with three performances each. Unfortunately, the final performance of a piece by Scriabin was disqualified from counting since it constituted a third round of performance. So, this month, the coveted prize will be shared by F. Schubert and A. Scriabin.

Round 1:

#	Performer	Work
1.	Gregory (duet)	Serenade, by F. Schubert
2.	Gordon	Sonata #14 K457, 3rd mvt, by W.A. Mozart
3.	Christopher	Claire de Lune, by C. Debussy
4.	Nick	Prelude Book 1, #10: La cathedrale englouti, by C. Debussy
5.	Sachie	The Prophet Bird Op. 82 #7, by R. Schumann
6.	David	Sheep May Safely Graze, by J.S. Bach, transcribed by Mary Howe, SoundCloud recording of David playing this piece is here
7.	Janice S.	Moment Musical #2, by F. Schubert
7.	Adrian	Three KlavierstückeD946,#2, by F. Schubert
9.	Perry	Prelude Op. 23 #5 (in G Minor), by S. Rachmaninoff
10.	Jeff	Preludes Op 17 #3 and Op. 11 #10, by A. Scriabin
11.	Erin	Sonata in D+, Hoboken XVI:24 (all movements), by F. J. Haydn

Round 2:

#	Performer	Work
1.	Adrian	Sonata 18, “the Hunt”,1st movement, by L. V. Beethoven
2.	Gregory	I’m in the Mood for Love, by Jimmy McHugh
3.	Sachie	Violin sonata in D+,mvnt 2 (Fugato) (with violin recording), by Anonymous arr. By Kathleen Wood
4.	Gordon	Prelude Op 17 #6, by A. Scriabin
5.	David	Plaisir d’Amour, by J.P. Martini, transcribed by R. Strobl, SoundCloud recording of David playing this piece is here
6.	Jeff	Prelude Op. 11 #12, by A. Scriabin
7	Gordon	Prelude Op. 17 #13, by A. Scriabin

Music played, November 18, 2018

A smaller group of dedicated pianists met at John's house for an afternoon of piano playing. The group welcomed first-time member Adrian, who has a special interest in Ludwig van Beethoven.

The music covered a diverse range, with only one composer (Beethoven) contributing more than one piece.  So, the winner of the most popular composer for October is out long time friend Ludwig.

And an oddity: there were more performances played in round 2 than round 1.

Round 1:

#	Performer	Work
1.	Karin and Nancy (duet)	“Rockin Chair”, by E. Rocherelle
2.	Gregory	Maple Leaf Rag, by Scott Joplin
3.	Gordon	Cantabile, Op. 19#1, by F. Mendelssohn
4.	Jackie	To a Wild Rose, by E. MacDowell
5.	Caryn	Aria from the Goldberg Variations, by J. S. Bach
6.	Adrian	Sonata #24 in F#, 1st movement, by L. van Beethoven
7.	John W.	Chorus of Morning Glories, own composition

Round 2:

#	Performer	Work
1.	Karin	Polonaise in G Minor, by F. Chopin
2.	Nancy	Claire de Lune, by C. Debussy
3.	Gregory	Of foreign lands and people (from scenes from Childhood), by R. Schumann
4.	Gordon	Preludes Op. 11 No. 22 and Op. 11 No. 13, by A. Scriabin
5.	Caryn	Danza de la Moza, by A. Ginastera
6.	Jackie	Ave Maria, by JS Bach/ Gounod
7.	Adrian	Bagatelle #4 in A, by L. V. Beethoven
8.	John	Free improvisation on the black keys.

Music played, October 21, 2018

The group enjoyed the wonders of Felix, Ottawa Pianos’ showpiece grand. Many thanks to Mitchell and Ottawa Pianos for giving us this great opportunity.

The music played ranged from frenetic to meditative, with everything in-between. This included two improvisations at the keyboard. And a vocal piece.

In the 'most popular composer' race, we had a four way tie: Beethoven, Chopin, Bach and Rocherelle. In the interest of encouraging new composer, the tie goes to the one person on this list I had never heard of: E. Rocherelle. Congratulations. For those of you who don't know Rocherelle, Wikipedia provides this information: Eugénie Ricau Rocherolle is an American composer, pianist, lyricist, and teacher who began her composing career with choral and band music. She was born in 1936 in New Orleans. She released her first piano solo collection in 1978 with great success and soon established herself as one of the leading American composers of piano repertoire

Round 1:

#	Performer	Work
1.	Gordon and Gregory (duet)	Overture to the “Barber of Seville”, by G. Rossini
2.	Karin	Autumn Leaves, by E. Rocherelle
3.	Janice G.	Bouree, Minuet and Gigue from the French Suite, by J.S. Bach
4.	David	Adagio from Concerto in D Minor,, BWV974, by J.S. Bach/Marcello, SoundCloud recording of David playing this piece is here
5.	Brent	Route 66, by Bobby Troup
6.	Jorge	Sonata op 13 (“Pathetique”), 1st movement, by L. van Beethoven
7.	John W.	Free improvisation
8.	Caryn	Danza de la Moza, by A. Ginastera
9.	Mitchell	Own arrangement of his own improvisation (in a minimalist style)
10.	Sachie	Prelude in f# Minor Op. 28, by F. Chopin

Round 2:

#	Performer	Work
1.	Gregory (playing) and Gordon (singing)	Climb Every Mountain (Sound of Music), by Rogers and Hammerstein
2.	Karin	Goodbye Block Island, by E. Rocherelle
3.	Jorge	Intermezzo, by M.M. Ponce
4.	John	Norwegian Folk Melody (traditional)
5.	David	Sonata op 14,#1 (Moonlight), 1st and 2nd movements, by L. van Beethoven
6.	Gordon	Two preludes: Op 11, no 10, by A. Scriabin
		AND Op 28, no 6, by F. Chopin

Music played at regular session, September 22, 2018

Tragedy struck Ottawa the day before our regular meeting when 4 tornadoes touched down, causing major damage to several communities. Our hearts and best wishes go out to all who have been affected by this event.

On the piano front, our regular September meeting was able to proceed at Jeff's abode. Some stair climbing providing a physical test for the participants and left warmed up for their playing activities.

In the 'most popular composer' race, Scriabin and Beethoven were tied with two performances each. The tie breaker goes to the older composer: Ludwig van Beethoven.

Round 1:

#	Performer	Work
1.	Gregory	The Vagabond (from Songs of Travel cycle) by, Ralph Vaughan Williams
2.	Brent	Canon in D Major, by J. Pachelbel, arr. by Dan Coates
3.	Christopher	Prelude in F Sharp Major, Op. 28 No. 13, by F. Chopin
4.	David	Adagio from Concerto in D Minor, BWV974, by J.S. Bach/Marcello
5.	Erin	Adagio from Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Major, by J.F. Haydn
6.	Jeff	Prelude, Op. 11 No. 12, by A. Scriabin
7.	Janice	Moment Musicale, Op 94 #1, by F. Schubert

Round 2:

#	Performer	Work
1.	Gregory	Elmer’s Tune, by Elmer Albrecht
2.	Erin	Piano Sonata in G Minor, Op. 49 No. 1, by L. van Beethoven
3.	Jeff	Prelude, Op. 17 No. 3, by A. Scriabin
4.	Christopher	Song for Gavin, by L. Einaudi
5.	Brent	Up to the Mountain, by Patty Griffin
6.	David	Bagatelle No. 25 in A Minor "Fur Elise", by L. van Beethoven

Music played at Special Session, September 16, 2018

An extra meeting took place in September to give us all a chance to try out Gregory's new piano! The piano includes the option to record and playback our performances. This got a good and early work-out since Gordon was unable to attend but gave us a recording of a Clementi sonata which played as if he was right in the room playing it! Greg recorded those of us who wished to be recorded and it was fun hearing it back. David converted the recordings to a form that could be sent as an email attachment so we all have an auditory momento.

Scriabin is back with a vengeance. In the 'most popular composer' race, Schubert gave him a good race in the first round but faded after the break. So, the winner by 4 pieces to 2 pieces is A. Scriabin.

Round 1:

#	Performer	Work
1.	Gordon	Sonatina Op. 36 #5, first movement by, M. Clementi Previously recorded piece played back on the Yamaha C2X
2.	Jeff	Prelude Op. 17#3, by A. Scriabin
3.	Erin	Sonata in G minor Op. 49 #1, by L.V. Beethoven
4.	Janice S.	Moment Musicale Op. 94# 1, by F. Schubert
5.	David	Fantaisie Impromptu (middle section), by F. Chopin
6.	John	Improvisation inspired, by A. Scriabin
7.	Gregory	Moment Musicale, Op94 #6, by F. Schubert
8.	Lynda	Phantom Thread, by House of Woodcock

Round 2:

#	Performer	Work
1.	Gregory	Prelude Op. 11 #10, by A. Scriabin
2.	Erin	Adagio from Sonata #23 in D major, by F. Hadyn
3.	Jeff	Prelude Op. 11 #12, by A. Scriabin
4.	Lynda	Sarabande, by G.F. Handel

Music Played, August 19, 2018

We enjoyed a broad range of music at Janice's house - thanks for hosting. We welcomed one new member this month: Brent. The music played showed our usual diversity.

Scriabin was on holiday this month so we have a new, and clear, winner in the 'most popular composer' competition. An Oldie but a real goodie: J.S. Bach. He was represented by three compositions while no other composer had more than one. Congratulations!

Round 1:

#	Performer	Work
1.	Janice (duet)	Allemande, French Suite VI, by J.S. Bach
2.	Gregory	Fantaisie Impromptu (middle part), by F. Chopin
3.	Karin and Nancy (duet)	Country Gardens, arr. by Sharp, and Mattinata, by Leoncavallo,
4.	Erin	Song of the lark (March from the seasons), by P. I. Tchaikovsky
5.	Jackie	Etude in F major, Op. 777 no. 22, by C. Czerny
6.	Lyndsay	Sonatina in C, Op. 55 #3, by F. Kuhlau
7.	Brent	Up to the Mountain, by Patti Griffin
8.	Christopher	May Song, by E. Granados
9.	Lorraine	Selections from Vienna Carnival, by F. Schumann

Round 2:

#	Performer	Work
1.	Gregory	Smile, by Charles (Charlie) Chaplin
2.	Christopher	The Spruce, by J. Sibelius
3.	Jackie	Arabesque, by F. Bürgmüller
4.	Karin	Improvisation,Op. 46 #4 by, E. MacDowell
5.	Erin	Invention #15 BWV 78, by J.S. Bach
6.	Lyndsay	Dreamland. own composition
7.	Brent	Let it be, by The Beatles
8.	Lorraine	Prelude XXII, BWV 867, by J.S. Bach