Dear friend
Happy Ides of March –
Stranger in Paradise is one of those pieces of music that many of us instantly recognize, but cannot really place. The melody originates in one of the Polovtsian Dances from Alexander Borodin’s opera Prince Igor, which are performed at the end of the opera’s second act. Here is more about their evolution from operatic ballet to the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Then there is the beautiful arrangement for 2 pianos we are sharing with you today. It is performed here by Dranoff Competition Laureates Yoshie and Takashi, who are the piano duo for PIANO SLAM 13. The song is one of the themes chosen to musically reflect the theme of Miami Memories – how do you and your family and friends feel after a year of the changes wrought by Covid? How has our history of segregation played in these times of seclusion and of scarcity of resources, access?
Together with William Bolcom’s Recuerdos, these melodies make us aware of the forces of loss and change. But we can choose to protect our identity, our self – our paradise – and carry it within.
Warmly,
Gabriele Fiorentino
President,
The Dranoff 2 Piano Foundation
Piano Slam
