Barry Alexander 8/5/25 Barry Alexander 8/5/25

The Aesthetics of Subtraction (August 5, 2025)

I have been thinking a lot lately about something called “the aesthetics of subtraction” or the idea that less is more when it comes to interpreting a piece of music. There is a quote, often attributed to Mozart, which says that “music is what happens between the silences.”

Barry Alexander 8/4/25 Barry Alexander 8/4/25

Carnegie Hall and Beyond! (August 4, 2025)

I recently Googled “Who are the pianists performing at Carnegie Hall for the 2025-2026 season” and the following page came up on their website: https://www.carnegiehall.org/Subscribe/Curated-Series/Pianists

Barry Alexander 7/29/25 Barry Alexander 7/29/25

Life Lessons From Lang Lang—Part Eight (July 29, 2025)

Lang Lang says that one’s music education needs to be paired with a full understanding of technique, and I could not agree more. A master chef has to learn, for example, many different techniques. For cooking alone she has to know how to boil, fry, roast, grill, sauté, and poach many different foods. In addition, she has to know how to use many different knives, understand how to combine flavors, organize, and measure, long before making great food.

Barry Alexander 7/28/25 Barry Alexander 7/28/25

Life Lessons From Lang Lang—Part Seven (July 25, 2025)

Lang Lang believes that as a pianist studies a piece she should not only look at the notes, but also find out the story behind them. Music compositions are a lot like novels in the sense that the melodies are characters that operate alone, and then “converse” with other melodies.

Barry Alexander 7/24/25 Barry Alexander 7/24/25

Life Lessons From Lang Lang—Part Six

Ask any pianist why they play, and they will probably tell you it’s because they really love it. There is a connection between the performer and the instrument that allows the pianist to express feelings through the piano.