Music in The Twisted Curtain
Including some of my favorite music was one joy of writing The Twisted Curtain. Here are a few selections performed by or enjoyed by various characters in the book.
Chapter 2: “A few years later, Jack is a mop-headed prodigy at a local recital—Couperin’s Les Barricades Mystérieuses, note perfect on the piano. Even as a boy, his whole body conveyed his joy in music. People listened. People loved it.”
Here is the piece performed by the wonderful pianist, Josu Gallastegui, on his recording, Unchained Melodies.
Chapter 14: “[Susannah] hears Kirill before she sees him: Chopin’s Etude No. 11 in A Minor—a daunting piece often called “the winter wind” for its shimmering, spine-chilling sound. For Kirill, it’s a warmup exercise. He uses the cascading arpeggios to loosen his fingers and hands.”
Watch the fabulous Evgeny Kissin’s performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D6wfcMbHf8
Chapter 20: “On Christmas Day, Felipe will perform at Trinity Church, a soloist in the Youth Symphony’s annual holiday concert: Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in G Minor, a reliable crowd pleaser that shows off Felipe’s impressive, lightning-fast pyrotechnics.”
The ever-astonishing Evgeny Kissin selected the Prelude as an encore at the Proms. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxnL7UrkmY4
Chapter 33: “After meeting with Jack’s lawyer in the afternoon, Susannah sits in her living room and pulls out headphones: Dvořák’s New World Symphony—John Michael Purcell, Conducting. The critics called the recording a “riveting, sweeping interpretation.” The piece is one of her favorites.”
Listen to Leonard Bernstein conducting this wonderful music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7YaiW6vmPk
Chapter 34: “Kirill has come from St. Petersburg to play piano transcriptions of the Rondo in D Minor and Hornpipe from Abdelazer’s Suite. The melancholy perfection of the music leaves the audience spellbound and briefly silent before they applaud. Kirill nods to Susannah as he bows—he has played exactly as he wanted.”
Pianist Josu Gallastegui performs Henry Purcell’s music in these two selections from his album, Unchained Melodies.
