Piano Veloute

• 9 April 22

  Ludovico Einaudi – I Giorni (2001)

  This album’s title translates as ‘The Days’ in English and was released in 2001. It was the first solo-piano follow-up to ‘Le Onde’ and became an almost instant hit on the popular British radio channel, Classic FM. The album is effectively one long lament, with each piece demonstrating Einaudi’s ability to compose utterly simple yet…

• 17 March 22

  Ludovico Einaudi

  I’ve always loved Einaudi’s beautifully haunting and lyrical music. What separates it out from other contemporary piano music is that, while the music itself is simple, it has a depth of feeling and emotion that is quite unparalleled. It is both poetic and rich in musicality. Einaudi was born in Turin, Piedmont, in 1955. His…

• 29 June 21

  Chopin, Field and the Nocturne

  The term “Nocturne” was first applied to musical pieces in the 18th century. It indicated an ensemble piece in several movements, normally played for an evening party and then laid aside. However, in its more familiar form, as a short piece usually written for solo piano, the nocturne was cultivated primarily in the 19th century.…

• 26 June 21

  First Light

  I wrote this little piece for my late wife, Michèle, who died just before Christmas in 2010. I found that writing a musical diary was so beneficial to my grieving process. I remember at the time feeling Michèle’s loss as if it were a deep wound in my heart. I found that music gently soothed…

• 20 June 21

  Chopin’s Etude, Opus 10, No.3

  Étude Op. 10, No. 3, in E Major is a study for solo piano composed by Chopin in 1832. It was first published in 1833 in France, Germany, and England. This is a slow cantabile created to assist students with their musical expressiveness and smoothness of playing. For me, it is simply one of the…

• 13 June 21

  Frederick Chopin

  This blog is the first in a series focusing on my favourite piano composers. I will be presenting some recordings of Chopin’s best loved pieces and I do hope that you enjoy this little encounter with one of the world’s greatest ever piano composers. Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin was born on 1st March 1810 in Warsaw…

• 20 February 21

  Where?

  Over the past six months I have written some new piano pieces. These “Songs Without Words” are relatively short and are unashamedly romantic in style. “Where?” seems to fit perfectly the sense of searching which I often experience as I walk in the woods.

• 6 May 20

  This is John McGuinness (Spotify Editorial playlist)

  Delighted to have my own Editorial Playlist curated by Spotify – featuring a selection of my recordings most of which are my own compositions.

• 19 March 20

  Bohemian Rhapsody

  I have recorded “Bohemian Rhapsody” and wish to share it with you. This version for piano solo is quite complex and I hope it conveys some of the energy of the piece. As is typical of me, I have attempted to make it somewhat “classical” in style although, unlike many versions, it is fairly close…