In 1992, Albert led and played this concert by the Helicon Ensemble in Weill Hall.
Playing on gut strings in public scared the daylights out of me, but I was grateful to Albert for the opportunity nonetheless.
After Alice Tully's stroke in 1993, Albert brought his students the Italian pianist Marco Rapetti, the Swedish cellist Johan Stern and me (whom Albert had collectively introduced to his Helicon audiences as the "Testosterone Trio," or "The Testostertones") to Miss Tully's apartment in the Hampshire House to play for her. I'm almost certain we played Brahms, though Albert has it as Schumann on p. 147 of his Alice book, among other elaborate improvisations on the facts of that extraordinary afternoon.
was a boy soprano, an organ and harpsichord virtuoso, a renowned improviser, a conductor and recording artist, a performance practice pioneer, the founder of the Aston Magna and Helicon foundations, a Juilliard professor, an author and translator, a musical impresario and visionary, a guru and sage, a Francophile bon vivant and gourmand, a raconteur, a consummate entertainer and, to the lucky many whose lives he touched, a great friend.
Please add to this blog
This blog began in August 2007 as a place to bring together Albert's unpublished writings and links to his recordings and books available online. That purpose remains, but more importantly it should serve as place where we can remember Albert with our own personal stories, tributes, photographs, concert programs, etc. Please email me your contributions and I will be very happy to add them. Paul Festa (paulfesta at gmail dot com)
I studied chamber music with Albert before graduating from Juilliard in 1993. Under his direction, I performed with the Helicon Ensemble at Weill Hall, Merkin Hall, Alice Tully Hall and of course the Rendezvous Lounge. I can be found online at http://www.paulfesta.com.
In 1992, Albert led and played this concert by the Helicon Ensemble in Weill Hall.
Playing on gut strings in public scared the daylights out of me, but I was grateful to Albert for the opportunity nonetheless.
After Alice Tully's stroke in 1993, Albert brought his students the Italian pianist Marco Rapetti, the Swedish cellist Johan Stern and me (whom Albert had collectively introduced to his Helicon audiences as the "Testosterone Trio," or "The Testostertones") to Miss Tully's apartment in the Hampshire House to play for her. I'm almost certain we played Brahms, though Albert has it as Schumann on p. 147 of his Alice book, among other elaborate improvisations on the facts of that extraordinary afternoon.
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