Blumenfeld - Etude in D-flat major

Etude in D-flat major from Four Etudes Op. 44 (1912)

Felix Blumenfeld (1863-1931) was a highly respected Russian conductor, piano virtuoso, and modest composer of a decidedly Romantic inclination. He studied composition with Rimsky-Korsakov at St. Petersburg, teaching piano there until the turmoil of the October Revolution forced him to leave the city in 1918. He stayed briefly in Kiev and then moved to Moscow where he taught piano until his death. Blumenfeld is barely mentioned except in relation to Vladimir Horowitz, who was his greatest pupil. However, Blumenfeld was also an important conductor, bringing about first Russian performances of Wagners Tristan and even Scriabins Poem of Ecstasy.

Except for the more famous Etude for the left hand Op. 36, Blumenfelds piano compositions are never played. In his early period, he began as a disciple of The Five and assimilated Chopin and Liszt. But in the early 20th-century, he continued to evolve and branched off into his own virtuosic and lyrical style, one that is best comparable to Rachmaninov and early Scriabin.

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Music

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• felix
• blumenfeld
• liszt
• chopin
• balakirev
• rachmaninov

[KeithWhalen11]

Chopin loved this key as well, in "Hamelin and The Eight" Robert Rimm shares an odd tidbit plucked from George Marek's book, entitled Chopin, which goes on to say that Frederic referred to Countess Delfina Potocka's vagina as "your little D-Flat Major." Weird comment to make on a Blumenfeld etude video, I know, but it just popped into mind.

Great upload, above all.

[kasyapa]

incredibly inspirational.

[uhartchristian]

we have now more information on youtube about the other pupils of Blumenfeld . Sofronitzky and Maria Yudina are very outstanding musicians and pianists too. They were not promoted by the stalin regime like Gilels , Richter and Flier , so less known but in my opinion even more important than Horowitz in pianohistory....

[andresin30000]

islamey....



[F1R1NMAHLAZAH]

@KeithWhalen no wonder the minute waltz is in d-flat major

[titusbeertsen]

@Regor2010 That's just because he liked the blackeys :)

[brandonok14]

Chopin also wrote in his diary that he licked Countess Delfina's ass.

[titusbeertsen]

@KeithWhalen11 Haha best comment ever concerning a major key :)

[kasyapa]

oh, what a lovely mood. romantic era, how wonderful you were.

[emilygclarinet]

Very nice. I love the key of D-flat major for some reason.