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Things get pretty soppy sometimes in “Monsieur Chopin," which the American Repertory Theatre has brought here after its successful Chicago premiere. But Hershey Felder, the show’s gifted creator and sole performer, clearly feels deeply attuned to the Romantic sensibility, not just the romantic. And, in his finest moments, he carries a rapt audience along on a wave of true, powerful, and wordless passion.

Felder, whom audiences in Cambridge and elsewhere cheered in his previous one-man show, “George Gershwin Alone," here displays a fiery, fierce, and varied piano technique that beautifully suits Chopin’s music. When Felder (blond-tressed and impeccably attired in the designer Boguslaw’s handmade morning jacket), devotes his full attention to the piano, the passionate vitality of the work is irresistible.

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Piano lessons may teach you how to play Chopin’s etudes, but techniques of a different sort are needed when figuring out where to put a piano in your home.

A badly chosen location can spoil the piano’s tune, crack the sounding board and bleach out the finish, costing $10,000 to $20,000 in repairs, says Rick Schaeffer, owner of Schaeffer’s Piano Co. in Rockville, Md., a 105-year-old firm started by his grandfather. He offers the following advice:

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Though it may be the biggest, heaviest stage instrument, a piano is no place to hide for Philip Zoellner. On the contrary, it’s a place to explore new avenues in his songwriting.

"The piano has allowed me to crawl into the imaginations of the people I write about," Zoellner said. "The piano allows me to be someone else. When I’ve done solo shows, (I) can almost have a one-man band, with bass notes, high notes and everything in between that tells the story really well. It’s not always just a one-liner melody."

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John Weeks, Staff writer

A story has been circulating in the arts media that likens Barry Bonds, the legendary ballplayer, to Vladimir Horowitz, the legendary pianist.

Bonds, the San Francisco Giants slugger, has passed Babe Ruth and is chasing Hank Aaron in a quest to become baseball’s all-time home run leader. But his feats of prowess have been clouded by accusations that he has used performance-enhancing substances.

Similarly, Horowitz was dogged by rumors throughout his illustrious career that he used an enhanced piano. According to the whispers, his Steinway CD 503 had been tampered with. The connections between the keys, hammers and strings had deliberately been loosened, allowing the pianist to use a lighter touch to elicit a greater range of musical expressions.

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From food to music, entrepreneur brings originality to area TUNED INTO THE COMMUNITY

By Barbara Wieland
Lansing State Journal

Will White expresses his creativity in many ways.

Musically, he has learned to repair stringed instruments and play an assortment of them, from traditional instruments such as the piano to rarer, ethnic ones - such as a folk flute sometimes known as a "sweet potato."

White translated that interest into White Bros. Music, an Okemos music shop that is marking its 30th anniversary this year.

He’s been creative with food, too. White used to make feasts for friends, picking one ethnic cuisine at a time to specialize in. That interest developed into the Travelers Club International Restaurant and Tuba Museum, neighboring the music store, which he co-owns with his wife.

Lately, he’s been creative with downtown Okemos, too.

He’s actively working to rejuvenate the area, making it a hub for shopping, dining and dwelling.

"I like to keep busy, it keeps me out of trouble," White said.

A busy guy

He’s been busy in the musical world since he was a kid growing up in the suburbs north of Detroit. One of White’s neighbors was a musician in the Detroit symphony who repaired violins on the side.

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Published: Thursday, 25 May, 2006, 11:05 AM Doha Time

Qatar Foundation (QF), in association with Qatar Shell, is hosting a recital by the young Moldavan pianist Mariana Izman on June 6 at Qatar Academy auditorium from 7.30pm.

The recital of virtuoso romantic pieces, the latest in the QF-Qatar Shell concert series and the last before the summer break, is Izman’s first concert engagement in the Middle East.

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By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter

“My Piano”

The new movie “My Piano’’ (Horowitz-rul Wihayo) has a plain and a rather predictable storyline; _ a troublesome boy with a talent for the piano learns how to communicate with the world through music thanks to his teacher, _ and it is delivered without big ups and downs.

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