Which Pianist Doesn't Like Daniel Albright?

April 10, 2009 1:17 PM

Does anyone know which pianist wrote this obscure piece?

When I was in college, a young pianist came to perform in the Lower Common Room of Adams House at Harvard University. He played an absolutely hilarious song he'd written for his thesis adviser, Daniel Albright. Apparently, Mr. Albright had called the pianist's work absolutely dreck. Perhaps appropriately, then, the piece was entitled, "Fuck you, Daniel Albright".

I would like to hear this performer again, or at the least get a copy of that piece. Does anyone have any idea what I'm talking about?

posted by jefficator to Media & Arts (5 answers total)

Probably Max Levinson--he's the only professional pianist I know with an undergraduate degree in English from Harvard.
posted by Sidhedevil at 1:32 PM on April 10, 2009

As an Adams House alum, this question interests me. But I also think it may be too obscure. Plenty of pianists graduated from Harvard and I can name at least one who was from Adams House itself- Thomas Lauderdale of Pink Martini. Anyways, just because he played piano in the Adams House Lower Common Room does not imply he was a professional pianist.

To be honest, I'd just email one of the House music tutors who probably helped arrange the performance.
posted by vacapinta at 2:03 AM on April 11, 2009

But I also think it may be too obscure. Plenty of pianists graduated from Harvard

Yes, but only people with fairly recent undergraduate degrees in English (or in History and Lit, I suppose) would have had Daniel Albright for a thesis advisor.

So I guess it could have been Thomas Lauderdale instead--he's class of '92, and Levinson is class of '93.
posted by Sidhedevil at 12:26 PM on April 11, 2009

Response by poster: Sid, you are right. Max Levinson. Excellent deduction!
posted by jefficator at 8:08 PM on April 21, 2009

So... did you find the piece itself? Would love to hear it.
posted by archofatlas at 1:49 PM on April 23, 2009