The Sunday Listen: 'Water Dances Part 1: Dipping' by Michael Nyman (arranged for two pianos)
I’ve recently really been enjoying the album Minimalist Dream House by the super sister pianists, Katia and Marielle Labèque.
Howard Skempton, one of the composers featured on the album, has been a recent favourite with some of my students, but this whole record is littered with gems.
If I’d single anything out, it would be the performance of Michael Nyman's Water Dances, originally written for ensemble for the Peter Greenaway film Making a Splash and released on the EG label in 1985. This new version takes the Nyman Band recording into a brand new arrangement for two pianos, which I prefer entirely to the original.
Note the length of those opening chords. There’s something so inviting about them, like the sea on a warm spring day. You just want to stop everything and dive in. I think if I could live in for the rest of my life in a piece of music, it would be these opening four bars.
Enjoy your Sunday!
Will