Rosemary Brown (medium) : Nocturne in A flat ( inspired by Chopin, 21 June 1966 )

This is a real curiosity. Rosemary Brown (1916-2001) was a medium who claimed to have had little musical training, but was apparently in contact with the spirits of various well-known composers who dictated music to her. Her work attracted the attention of various eminent British musicians, including Richard Rodney Bennett, John Lill and Peter Katin. Peter Katin actually recorded an album of her pieces, and several were published in (I believe) two collections, of which I have the first. This contains pieces inspired by Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Brahms and Liszt as well as the piece on this video - which is, to me, by far the best, and the only one that I would ever consider performing. There is an abrupt key change which does not seem very Chopinesque, but if the piece is a pastiche, it is not a bad one. I would be fascinated to see Rosemary Brown's manuscripts. You can read more on Chopin's posthumous activities and Rosemary Brown on: http://www.xs4all.nl/~wichm/chopinra.html I am inclined to believe that Rosemary Brown had some savant-like ability, but if I am wrong, then what better year than Chopin's birth bicentenary to give the YouTube premiere performance of one of his most recent works!
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Played by Phillip Sear
http://www.psear.co.uk

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[Dfrankjazz]

I've been studying Rosemary Brown lately. Her Unfinished Symphonies is a beautiful book, full of beautiful insights into life and spirituality, very inspirational. The piano playing on the piece is very lovely..I am sad to hear that the music she has written almost all is very common and not at all good, except for the Grubelei piece which is very nice..no way Chopin could have transmitted something so ordinary and pianistically boring. Too bad..

[PSearPianist]

@Dfrankjazz It is indeed a good book. As you say, it is a shame she never transmitted (as far as we know) an undisputed masterpiece by one of the composers she communicated with. I wonder what happened to her manuscripts?

[thrippleton]

It's uncannily like Chopin,isn't it? Either Rosemary was really in touch with him or I'd say she was a brilliant composer in her own right.

[PSearPianist]

@thrippleton We will never know.....

[welsonbil]

@PSearPianist Can you play the song "Jesus Walink on the Water", by Rosemary Brown, inspired by Liszt?

I love this song!

Thank you!

[PSearPianist]

@welsonbil I will see - I have it, but was not that impressed with the piece!

[nityanandi]

@PSearPianist Thrippleton says we won't know? How could she have surpassed Beethoven, Lizst, Brahms, Debussy, so on...at their own game? We know. But we THINK. We think in dominant paradigm, stupidity. KNOW !

[LeYell0w]

@welsonbil This piece is not so easy to play

it looks like a strange atmosphere (the end with very low octaves )

[welsonbil]

(Jesus WALKING on the Water)

[PSearPianist]

@vrartist Thank you for that - that's really interesting information for viewers of this vid.