Interview with Sorabji and Michael Habermann - Sorabji plays his own Nocturne "Gulistan" (2/3)

This is a rare recording of Sorabji beeing interviewed. At the end you can her himself playing "Gulistan" unfortunaly the recording quality isn't actually the best one. Maybe you will realize that there is a big difference between hearing his interpretation and seeing how he wrote "Gulistan"... I will upload an interview with Michael Habermann where he talks about this difference and what Sorabji says about his way of playing... Unfortunaly I'm not a nativ speaker so I have really big problems understanding Sorabji. It really would be wonderful if anybody could post Sorabji's answers as a text... Thank you so much

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Kaikhosru
• Shapurji
• Sorabji
• plays
• Nocturne
• Gulistan
• the
• rosegarden
• rose
• garden
• interview
• composer
• Michael
• Habermann

[sophoclex]

This isn't Gulistan. There is virtually no resemblance between this and the version played by Hopkins and Haberman - and the difference isn't a matter of performance. An earlier version perhaps? But very beautiful. Thanks Pianojunky.

[Pianojunky19]

@sophoclex

no there is no second or earlier version of Gulistan. Sorabji really plays his Nocturne "Gulistan - The Rosegarden" even if it seems to be another piece. There is an interview with Habermann talking for example from this differences and about sorabji's reasons for his interpretation, maybe I will upload this interview too. But you should know that this is really Gulistan Sorabji is playing.

[KeithWhalen11]

..The proper dynamic projection must be considered; a special kind of technique is required in which one must get across many notes in an aerial, delicate way. There is never an indication louder than mezzo forte, and that is an extreme. Very fast repeated chords must be projected dolcissimo. Such an effect is not something that is achieved easily, especially when the right piano is not at hand. I would never play this piece without knowing the piano in advance." - Marc-Andre Hamelin

[sophoclex]

Commenting on Sorabji's performance of Gulistan recorded in 1965, Haberman wrote: "His playing shows enormous deviations from the score in every respect (pitch, rhythm, dynamics, articulation)". Sorabji claimed that the reason for this was his own limited technique. Sorabji's version bears virtually no realation to other performances based on the printed score. He also said "The music as printed embodies my intentions". Do post the interview. Thanks again.

[searchfgold6789]

@Pianojunky19 Thanks for the excellent recording! I have a score - The cover of it reads "New Edition by Marc-Andre Hamelin." I must say that when I follow the piece along with the score I can see profound differences in tone and rhythm - In the first two pages I can note at least five places where Sorabji does not play what is on the page, and yes I can hear through the cruddy sound quality. But it's definitely the same piece! I would be very exited to hear the other interview explaining this.

[ReturnOfTheStienway]

Mucho thanks for the compilation of recordings.

[KeithWhalen11]

"Practicality in performing Sorabji is an enormous obstacle for pianists. To illustrate the point - in Gulistan, which I edited for publication, one requires an extremely sensitive instrument to many any sense of the texture in separating all the polyphonic strands. Getting something like that in one's fingers is understandably a very gradual and time-consuming process. It feels almost like two or three Ondines piled on top of each other! ...... continued