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Principal label: Ursa Minor Records
classical piano solo recordings
Classic Piano
Year of recording: 1986
J.S. Bach - Prelude in E-flat major from the Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I
Frederic Chopin - Ballade no. 4 in F minor, op. 52
Maurice Ravel - Ondine from Gaspard de la nuit
Igor Stravinsky - Russian Dance from Three Scenes from Petrouchka
status: out of print
Constellation (Ursa Minor Records)
Year of recording: 1988
J.S. Bach - Fugue in E-flat major from the Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II
Dmitri Shostakovich - Fugue in G-sharp minor, no. 12 from 24 Preludes and Fugues, op. 87
J.S. Bach - Fugue in D-sharp minor from the Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I
Dmitri Shostakovich - Fugue in B-flat minor, no. 16 from 24 Preludes and Fugues, op. 87
J.S. Bach - Fugue in F-sharp minor from the Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Finale to the “Jupiter” Symphony, transcribed for piano by M. Arnowitt
Darius Milhaud - La Crétion du Monde (The Creation of the World), transcribed for piano by M. Arnowitt
Olivier Messiaen - Par Lui tout a été fait, no. 6 from Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant-Jésus
status: in print
Alive & Well (Ursa Minor Records)
Music of Vermont Composers
Year of recording: 1990
James Grant - Toccata, from Three Virtuosic Studies
Stanley Charkey - Three Short Inventions
Ernest Stires - Prelude and Fugue
Ernest Stires - Prelude
Nicholas C.K. Thorne - Three Love Songs, op. 16
Gwyneth Walker - Dolce, movement 2 from Piano Sonata no. 3
Bruce Hobson - Lyric Piece no. 1
Dennis Báthory-Kitsz - Csárdás
Gilles Yves Bonneau - Valse
Allen Shawn - Tango
Thomas L. Read - Vivace, Nocturne, and Caprice from Piano Music, Vol. 2
Gwyneth Walker - Rhythms from the North Country
Allen Shawn - Four Jazz Preludes
status: currently available on cassette only
Classical/Jazz (Musical Heritage Society)
Year of recording: 1990
Darius Milhaud - La Crétion du Monde (The Creation of the World), transcribed for piano by M. Arnowitt (different performance than on Constellation CD above)
Aaron Copland - Four Piano Blues
Frederic Rzewski - Winnsboro cotton mill blues, no. 4 from North American Ballads
Igor Stravinsky - Piano Rag-Music
William Albright - Sleight of Hand Rag, from Three Novelty Rags
Maurice Ravel - Le gibet, from Gaspard de la nuit
Art Tatum - medley of selected transcriptions of piano solos: Sweet Emaline, Sunday, Don’t Get Around Much Anymore, Wabash Blues, Ja-Da
Toots Thielemans - Bluesette
Dave Holland - Four Winds
status: probably out of print
Beethoven Piano Sonatas (Ursa Minor Records)
Year of recording: 1995
Ludwig van Beethoven - Sonata no. 15 in D major (“Pastoral”), op. 28
Ludwig van Beethoven - Sonata no. 4 in E-flat major, op. 7
status: in print
Beyond 88 Keys (White Rock Productions)
Documentary film about the life and music of Michael Arnowitt
Year of recording: 2002, 2003 (released 2004)
The film contains mostly live performances of music including the following pieces:
J.S. Bach - Praeludium and Courante from Partita no. 1 in B-flat major, Allemande from French Suite no. 5 in G major
William Byrd - Galliard no. 6 in C major, Galliard no. 1 in C minor from My Ladye Nevells Booke of Virginal Music
W.A. Mozart - Allegro from Sonata no. 15 in F major, K. 533 (excerpt)
Erik Satie - Piecès froides (excerpt)
Robert Schumann - Davidsbündler op. 6 no. 14 - Zart und singend, no. 17 Wie aus der Ferne
Arnold Schoenberg - Sechs kleine Klavierstücke, op. 19 no. 1, 2, and 6 (excerpts)
György Ligeti - Études no. 3, 4, and 5 (excerpts)
Johannes Brahms - Intermezzo in A major, op. 118 no. 2
Igor Stravinsky - Russian Dance from Three Scenes from Petrouchka (excerpt)
Jazz trio improvisation: Sigmund Romberg - Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise (excerpt)
Jazz solo piano improvisation: Brad Mehldau - Quit (excerpt)
William Mayer - Fantasia from Piano Sonata, 1960 (excerpt)
Allen Shawn - Boogie Woogie (excerpt)
Montage of contemporary piano music (all short excerpts):
Eric Lyon - Sandoz from Six European Lullabies
Dennis Báthory-Kitsz - Prelude no. 20 from Tirkiinistra (25 Landscape Preludes for Piano)
George Crumb - Spiral Galaxy (Aquarius), no. 12 from Makrokosmos, Volume I
Eve Beglarian - Fireside
David Fuqua - Once again, once again / I am for you / A star
status: available on DVD and VHS
unreleased at the moment
Homage to Glenn Gould
A projected 2 CD-set with music by Bach, Byrd, Gibbons, Mendelssohn, Sibelius, Webern, and Strauss.
classical performances on other musicians’ and artists’ recordings
Beverley Johnston, percussion - Garden of Delights
Year of recording: 2000
Duo performed arrangements of two pieces by Astor Piazzolla, Oblivion and Milonga del Angel, with Beverley Johnston, marimba.
Tracks recorded at Glenn Gould Studios, Toronto.
status: ? available through CBC Records/Canadian Music Centre or www.beverleyjohnston.com.
Journey Into Courage
Documentary film by Bess O’Brien about women dealing with domestic violence.
Michael Arnowitt performs piano as part of a chamber ensemble playing an original music soundtrack by composer Robert Paterson
status: ?
Excerpts from Michael Arnowitt’s performance of Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Sonata on the Beethoven Piano Sonatas CD were used as the soundtrack for “VisioNEARY: Vermont in Black and White,” a DVD of 66 Vermont photographs by the veteran photographer Dan Neary, Jr., arranged as a progression of the four seasons.
status: in print, available from Amazon or direct from Dan Neary, Jr., 170 Perkins Rd., Montpelier VT 05602 for $23 (includes shipping and handling)
Excerpts from Michael Arnowitt performing William Byrd, Orlando Gibbons, and Anton Webern selections from his forthcoming “Homage to Glenn Gould” CDs were used as the soundtrack for “Quantum Entanglement” and “Circular Statements,” two very short films by Gail Schwartz about the visual art of Janet Van Fleet’s exhibits based on buttons and other real-life circular objects.
jazz piano recordings
Improvisations on the following tunes have appeared on different Michael Arnowitt jazz piano samplers over the years:
Michael Arnowitt - Clear Sailing
Michael Arnowitt - Medium Message
Michael Arnowitt - Migratory Mood
Michael Arnowitt - Wood, from suite “The Five Chinese Elements”
Billy Childs - Midland
Ornette Coleman - The Sphinx
Miles Davis - Nardis
Miles Davis - Solar
Benny Golson - Whisper Not
Herbie Hancock - Tell Me A Bedtime Story
Dave Holland - Four Winds
Frank Loesser - I’ve Never Been In Love Before
Brad Mehldau - Quit
Charlie Parker - Confirmation
Cole Porter - Night And Day
Sigmund Romberg - Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise
George Shearing - Lullaby of Birdland
Toots Thielemans - Bluesette
Victor young - Beautiful Love
The Five Chinese Elements
original jazz suite for trio
Recorded live March 26, 2004
Michael Arnowitt, piano; Anthony Santor, upright bass; Steve Wienert, drums and percussion
Earth - Water (Part 1) - Water (Part 2) - Earth (call-back) - Wood - Fire - Earth (call-back) - Metal - The Aquifer (Water in Earth) - Spiritual - Earth (final call-back)
status: not commercially released but copies available on request
improvisation performances on other musicians’ recordings
Jon Gailmor - Checking In (Softwood Recordings)
Year of recording: 2004
Duo performance on title tune with Jon Gailmore, guitar