Aaron Silverman Concert Series

Charles Neidich in the clarinet and Joshua Grunmann in the piano became an interesting combination of classical music I’ve ever head before. The interesting introduction Charles Neidich gave in the beginning got my attention. He started by saying that, when the war was taking place in Russia, musicians were not allow to express themselves so most of these artist where not allow to even have their own diaries. Consequently, musicians will express their daily lives through the sound of their instruments. In other words, the music sheet became the musicians’ diaries.

For the first part, a piece by Mieczyslaw Weinberg called Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, op. 28.  opened the first part of four parts of the concert. Being this the first to witness a concert in the front row, it was impressive to see how both instruments sounded live. It is quite different and a unique experience to hear live organic sounds than watching videos on Youtube. It was impressive to see how the coordination of both musicians brought the pieces together. Also, one is able to see how passionately they play their instruments, which is why the majority of the people in the concert applauded and stand up to show their respects to both musicians. Even though Mr. Neidich was having problems adjusting the mouthpiece of his clarinet he was able to have it fix in no time and kept playing like nothing was wrong. And, personally I believe the flow of the music was not affected at all.

One can think that classical music could have you bored in no time but, being in this small concert has shown that it does not matter where music comes from and what genre it belongs to as long as you give it try in listening it, respect it and later come to understand it. In other words, music is not something you create out of nothing but every musical piece has its own meaning behind it. For instance, towards the second part of the concert, Threnos (a solo for clarinet) played entirely by Charles Neidich is a dedication for the people affected by some tragic event such as the Tsunami victims & etc.  Music is and always has been the vehicle of self-expression. Charles Neidich and Joshua Grunmann had bring a good combination of instruments to the stage but mostly the way they controlled these instruments is an art that should be cultivated more often and encouraged with concerts like this one.

 

Posted in Concert, Criticism, Student Post | Comments Off on Aaron Silverman Concert Series

The Graphic Score: music and notation “outside the lines”

Mary Hubbell brought to class many examples of the “broken rules” in Western Classical Music of the twentieth century.  Singers were confronted with many new demands and expectations by composers. Composition was not confined to notes and rests.

Cathy Berberian’s “Stripsody,” notation based on sounds from comic strips, was a fun example.

"Stripsody" by Cathy Berberian

I know you want to hear it again! Follow along with the score!

In “Scoring Outside the Lines,” composer Pat Muchmore offers us a historical view of these graphic scores and why they are “slightly magical” and appropriate to him as a composer.

Give the article a read… especially his last section “IV.”
Does popular music have an equivalent style of notation?

 

 

Posted in Professor Post | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Charles Jones at the NYPL for the Performing Arts

For my final blog post, I spent a Sunday afternoon at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts watching solo pianist Charles Jones perform pieces by Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann and Ravel. Being a pianist myself, I was looking forward to watching a professional perform live the works by the composers we have discussed.

The performance ran from 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM, which included a short intermission. The pieces to be played were:

  • All three movements from Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 23 in f minor, Op. 57 “Appassionata”
  • Chopin’s Scherzo in b flat minor, Op. 31
  • Toccata in C Major, Op. 7
  • All three movements from Ravel’s Gaspard de la nuit

I arrived at the venue thirty minutes early and was surprised to see a line out the door and around the corner. I had expected this to be in a smaller setting, with low attendance but I was very mistaken. That being said, there was no doubt in my mind that I was the youngest person in attendance – I officially know where New York’s elderly crowd spends their Sunday afternoons to say the least.

I had never heard any of these pieces played before, and the program was not listed on the website when I checked. Being the Google fanatic that I am, while I waited for the performance to begin and the people to finish filing into the auditorium (which sat about 200 audience members – every seat ended up being filled), I quickly searched the titles once I had the program in my hand. I was happy to see that the pieces chosen were from a range of time periods that we have touched upon in class – I knew I was going to get an array of performance styles and genres from this performance. However, for this blog post I want to focus specifically on Beethoven’s Sonata, simply because it was by far my favorite of the four.

In my Google search, I had found that this particular sonata was one of Beethoven’s most turbulent sonatas. Pianist Charles Jones was able to capture this effect in not only extraordinary technical skill but also his performance quality – his body language while performing definitely highlighted the more dramatic places within the piece.

The sonata consists of three movements; Allegro Assai (very fast), Andante con moto (walking with motion), and Allegro ma non troppo (fast, but not too much). It was written during Beethoven’s middle period, during which he decided to take a new direction with his music and began composing on a grander scale. This sonata was composed in the same period that the “Eroica” symphony was composed.

Allegro Assai: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEptNFzLpjk

Approximately thirty seconds into the performance, the origin of the title “Apassionata” is very obvious. The drama and tension created by the harmony, melody and changing dynamics of this piece definitely echoes passion. On that note, I know sturm and drang is a bit before Beethoven’s time but I found myself hearing characteristics of this style as the piece progressed. Additionally, I personally was blown away by the amount of technical skill and virtuosic character that the piece held.

Andante con moto: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gdUWdDVriI

In comparison to the movement that precedes this one, the Andante con moto movement is refreshingly simple and is comprised of a theme and variations on mostly chords. Something I noticed in this movement that contrasted with the first movement is that the composition of the Allegro assai utilizes the whole range of 88 keys whereas in this movement the performer does not branch out as much from the middle octave. When he did, however, it was very noticeable, particularly the contrast of lower bass notes with melodic chords on the middle octave. Out of all three movements, this one is the only one where I thought to myself, “Yeah, maybe with practice I’d be able to play that.” The others, on the other hand, not so much.

Allegro ma non troppo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz7usUEPWsc

This movement has the sonata come full circle – we’re back to the drama, tension and virtuosic playing that was characteristic of the first movement. It was amazing to see Charles Jones hands flying across the keys at what seemed to be an impossible speed – without missing a single note or making a mistake. In the Youtube videos I linked, you can even see the muscle definition in her forearms. The amount of practice it must take to perfect a piece like this was the recurring theme in my head as I enjoyed this entire sonata. There was also some left hand over right technique, which, as a pianist I can always appreciate. The ending of this movement concludes the entire sonata, and it involves loud dynamics and huge chords accompanied by rapid arpeggios – definitely dramatic.

Attending this performance was a great experience. It’s one thing to watch a Youtube video on Baruch’s lousy speakers and another to sit in a fully seated auditorium that is built with acoustics in mind. Not only that, but I managed to get right up front to watch his piano playing, which was my favorite because being a musician myself I find it amazing to see, up close and personal, the physical boundaries of playing compositions like this break through.

Here are the links to the other pieces that were performed (unfortunately I could not find any Charles Jones Youtube videos):

Chopin’s Scherzo in b flat minor, Op. 31: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rS0qmP_6Lk

  • Schumann’s take on this piece: “so overflowing with tenderness, boldness, love and contempt.”

Schumann’s Toccata in C Major, Op. 7: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYWPhVizpZ8

  • Schumann believed this piece was the hardest piece ever written. He wasn’t very far off.

Ravel’s Gaspard de la nuit

 

In retrospect, it looks like Charles Jones was going for a sort of “Virtuosity through the Ages” type of theme with his choices for this performance. I wasn’t the only one in the audience impressed with his skills. Once the piece had finished, the elderly woman next to me who had quite literally been headbanging the entire time, gave him a standing ovation complete with a few “Bravo’s!” thrown in. I can’t say I blame her.

Posted in Concert, Student Post | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Concert Review: Dvorak at The New York Philharmonic

This past Saturday evening, May 5 2012 I attended the New York Philharmonic’s performance at Avery Fisher Hall. I was lucky to have a seat right in the orchestra section only seven rows from the front. The New York Philharmonic was founded in 1842 and is considered the oldest symphony orchestra in the United States and one of the oldest worldwide. Alan Gilbert is the Musical Director and began his tenure in September 2009. One of the most amazing things about the orchestra is how from its beginnings it has propelled the music of its time into the spotlight.

In this particular performance, Gilbert led the orchestra with works from Lindberg, Tchaikovsky, and Dvorak. The opening piece I will focus on is Antonin Dvorak’s Carnival, Op. 92 that was composed in 1891 and dedicated to the Czech University of Prague and first premiered on April 28, 1892 in Prague. The New York Philharmonic first debuted the piece on October 21, 1892 and Dvorak led the orchestra in his first appearance in the United States.

Carnival is about ten minutes in duration and was the perfect opening to the concert. This was a part of three concert overtures and was to portray impressions of what the human soul experiences and highlighting that in both negative and positive ways. Dvorak originally wanted to title them Nature, Life, and Love but he soon realized that he wanted them to have three distinct identities. The title Carnival really embodies the true feeling you get when you are in the audience listening because of the spirited and boisterous sound. There are intense moments when you feel that this could be the background to the fun and boisterous crowds at a carnival.

The instrumentation is as follows: two flutes and piccolo, two oboes and English horn, two bassoons, two clarinets, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, cymbals, tambourine, triangle, harp, and strings. There are points when listening to the piece that all the instruments work together with such intensity that it resonates within you as part of the audience.

All three overtures share a theme that creates a flowing cycle, not taking from their individuality yet bringing them together. Scholar Otakar Sourek studies the works by Dvorak and has labeled this “Theme of Nature” which visits each of the three works. There is a section in the middle of the piece where the sound has more of a mellow sound and this is where you here the theme first brought back by the clarinet and then the English horn.

The excitement of this piece really shows how the orchestra does a good job of portraying what Dvorak wanted. The instruments are equal to the shouts of joy and hilarity of people venting their feelings in song and dance. The English horn has many roles in this work and when partnered with the flute there is a moment where they represent a “pair of straying lovers,” finding companionship. I also enjoyed the dance rhythms and folk music influence that you hear in the piece which comes from where Dvorak is from, the Czech Republic.

As someone who is not a regular listener of music before the 20th century, this was truly an amazing experience and has made me a fan of Dvorak’s work. The intensity of music in Carnival as an audience member was uplifting and opened my eyes to the benefits live music can offer.

Posted in Concert, Student Post | Tagged , | Comments Off on Concert Review: Dvorak at The New York Philharmonic

A Night of Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky and Brahms/Schoenberg

On Wednesday evening, May 9, 2010 the New York City Ballet presented a more or less spectacular performance featuring composers Tchaikovsky’s Serenade, Stravinsky’s Firebird and Brahms’ First Piano Quartet in G minor, Op. 251, orchestrated by Schoenberg.  All choreography was done by NYC Ballet founder George Balanchine.

Firstly, the set of the first performance, Serenade, was ghostly with it’s glowing blue hues of lighting and costume.  The costumes for each performance were beautiful.  Color (with reference to set and costume design) in combination with the timbre of the strings put me to sleep within approximately fifteen minutes past the waltz.  I was somewhat embarrassed but I could not help it.  It was the perfect fix until I fell on the lady next to me.  I just could not stay awake.  It is worth noting that the sensuality of the waltz kept me awake.

I assure you that I was alert for the Firebird Suite performance.  I do not know how anyone could fall asleep during that.  I was most impressed by the firebird’s costume which was supervised by Dain Marcus.  It made the prima ballerina, Ashley Bouder, look absolutely fantastic and truly transformed her into her character.  Not only the costume but the fire that followed her which was provided by Mark Stanley positively set the stage afire.  The original choreography by George Balanchine was absolutely beautiful.  The wizard’s and demon elves’ costumes were spectacular as well.  The tension of the music was accurately transposed on stage with the volume of forest dwellers as they enchanted the princess and her maidens.

Finally, Brahms’ First Piano Quartet in G minor, Op. 251 orchestrated by Schoenberg.  The end piece that put me to sleep as well.  I will note that the reason why I fell asleep is probably because of my exhaustion but also because of the soft mauve colors of the set, costumes and timbre of the orchestra.  I only felt alert and awed during the final dance, the Rondo alla Zingarese.  The “Gyspy Rondo” was at a tie with the Stravinsky’s Firebird.  The costumes were wonderful and Ask la Cour’s performance was sensational.  He gave a perfect performance in my eyes and I am sure in everyone else’s eyes as well.  The quintessence of his soul shined through his entire body and no one wanted it to end.

Overall, the pieces complemented each other well although I would have preferred consistent excitement provided by the “Gypsy Rondo” and Stravinsky’s Firebird.

Posted in Student Post | Comments Off on A Night of Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky and Brahms/Schoenberg

NPR’s Article on Robert Lepage’s “Ring Cycle”

The Metropolitan Opera House has been home to some of the greatest opera productions known to man. Many of the patrons to the Metropolitan Opera feel that they get their monies worth every time they attend an event there, no matter how steep the price tag may be. However, according to Tom Huizenga’s article ‘Wagner’s Dream’: Is It The Met’s Nightmare?, many critics feel that not only is this production bland, but it is extremely expensive.

The production that was chosen was Richard Wagner’s “Ring Cycle.” The ring Cycle is a set of four “epic and mythical” operas that allegedly came to Wagner in his sleep. Huizenga is in no way criticizing Wagner’s musical ability, however, he harshly criticizes the amount of money that was contributed putting together the $16 million dollar project.  One aspect of the production that seemed to have really bothered Huizenga is the high tech device in the back called the “machine.” It was very interesting to read about how Huizenga felt about it:

“The brunt of this Ring’s criticism falls on Canadian stage director Robert Lepage’s set. For all four operas, his concept literally hinges on a single 90,000-pound, dizzyingly high-tech contraption dubbed the “machine.” It looks like a giant 24-plank see-saw on which images are projected and characters walk, ride and even dangle.”

By using words such as “plank” and “see-saw” he manages to belittle the “machine” and makes it seem as if it were child-like. In addition, Huizenga states that there were numerous “mechanical, technical, and safety glitches” that deemed the “machine” contraption useless in the eyes of many prominent music critics.  To sum up the way that music critics feel about Robert Lepage’s rendition of Richard Wagner’s “Ring Cycle,” Alex Ross boldly states, “Pound for pound, ton for ton, it is the most witless and wasteful production in modern operatic history.” Those are extremely tough words for Mr. Lepage.

Although I may not have seen the production, I believe that perhaps the critics may have been too hard on Lepage. The reason I believe this is because I am sure that if the production were to be as bad as they perceived it to be, the Metropolitan Opera House would not have allowed the production to take place in their home. The production was even called “stale as white bread.” This is probably the last thing that Lepage would have liked to read about.

From the photos and video that is in Huizenga’s article, the “machine” looks like it adds stunning visuals to the opera. During the video clip, three opera singers dressed as mermaids appear to be dangling off the “machine” in a form that it looks like they are swimming. If I were in the Met watching this, it would have certainly grabbed my attention. Personally, it just seems like Huizenga and the other critics were bent on negatively criticizing any aspect they could of Lepage’s “Ring Cycle.” I always say in class that what may be considered art or music to one person may not be that to the next person. I encourage others to watch the production before making a judgement on it.

 

Posted in Criticism, Student Post | 1 Comment

Concert Review – New York Philharmonic: Carnival by Antonín Dvořák

Last Friday I had the pleasure to attend a concert by the New York Philharmonic at Avery Fisher Hall. It was conducted by Alan Gilbert, who is currently the Music Director of the Philharmonic. The conductor was born in New York City, into a New York Philharmonic family. Wikipedia states, “both his father, Michael Gilbert, and his mother, Yoko Takebe, have had careers as violinists in the Philharmonic. His mother still performs in the orchestra . . . . Gilbert made his first conducting appearance with the New York Philharmonic in 2001. After a total of thirty-seven appearances as guest conductor, on July 18, 2007, the New York Philharmonic appointed Gilbert as its next Music Director.”

When I saw the program of the concert it seemed to be a perfect fit for our class. It opened with Carnival by Antonín Dvořák, followed by World Premiere of Piano Concerto No.2 that was written by contemporary composer, Magnus Lindberg, and closed with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovskiy’s Symphony No. 4 in F minor. I am going to focus my review on Dvořák’s Carnival, but I also want to comment on Lindberg’s Piano Concerto No 2. The work is technically very demanding. The composer did not set up any limitations on this matter. The reason, as booklet that I was given before the concert states, was that Lindberg knew abilities of orchestral players well (when the piece was written he was the composer-in-residence at the New York Philharmonic) and because the concerto was composed for a particular soloist, Yefim Bronfman, who played the piano part at this concert. Yefim Bronfman is Grammy Award-winning pianist. His official website claims the he is “among the most talented virtuosos performing today. His commanding technique and exceptional lyrical gifts have won consistent critical acclaim and enthusiastic audiences worldwide for his solo recitals, prestigious orchestral engagements and expanding catalogue of recordings.”

Piano Concerto No.2 is the second work of contemporary composers that I have heard being on concerts. The first work that I heard five years ago, was performed by the composer himself. I cannot recall his name, but I remember thinking to myself that I did not get the piece he was playing. And, unfortunately, this is the second time I cannot say that I liked the work. I felt like this concerto was one very long piece with a lot of tension and dissonances. It actually reminded me Symphony No 4 by Lutoslawski, which I wrote about in my previous blog. Both works have a dark and mysterious mood. For me, the concerto was depressing as well as the symphony. However, I have to admit that audience loved the piece. I would be glad to hear it again and try to understand it better, but it is impossible at this point because the work is new and not available on the internet yet.

Antonín Dvořák was a Czech composer. In 1889, he became a professor of composition at the Prague Conservatory. In 1892, Jeannette Thurber, a wealthy American music patron, offered Dvořák a position as artistic director and composition professor at New York’s National Music Conservatory. He agreed and worked there until 1895. Carnival is a “Life” part of a “Nature, Life and Love” trilogy of overtures written by the composer. His description of the work states, “the lonely, contemplative wanderer reaches the city at nightfall, where a carnival is in full swing. On every side is heard the clangor of instruments, mingled with shouts of joy and the unrestrained hilarity of people giving vent to their feelings in their songs and dance tunes.” Right from the beginning, the piece abounds with dance rhythms. I noticed some folk motives, probably from his motherland. The first part is very energetic and has a very bright and colorful sound. You can feel the joy the composer talked about in his description. The composition has a contrasting middle section, where everything slows down. This part has a wonderful interlude on the flute and the English horn. It brings a lyrical mood to the composition. In the middle of this section a violin joins the duet between flute and English horn. It feels like, in the second part of the piece, the composer tried to portray a wanderer who just came in to an unfamiliar city. I can easily imagine how he is walking down the streets, watching people and exploring new places. After the second part ends, the composition goes back to the first, full of joy, section. Carnival is a beautiful musical work. I enjoyed this overture very much.

Before I went to the concert I watched a couple of performances of these composition on the internet and they were good. However, live performance, if it is a good one, gives emotions that you cannot get by watching a video on YouTube. Alan Gilbert is an amazing conductor. Orchestral players were like a one united whole. They played stunningly. It was an outstanding performance and I will definitely attend more concerts by the New York Philharmonic.

Carnival by Antonín Dvořák:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uTsFX2mOYE

 

Posted in Concert, Student Post | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

American Opera… COMMEE ON!!!!

Aside from modernism and minimalism and some atonal work, musical history and the text books written about it are dominated by the late great dead Europeans. Even much of that was influenced by European composers. Today, Opera in particular is a genre who’s most famous works are all foreign. As well the prominent domestic performances are also of mostly European heritage. Domestically though, opera has many reasons to stand on its own merits. NPR’s series ‘Talk Like An Opera Geek,’ explores different facets of the genre and takes on American Opera in it’s latest installment, ‘Pioneering an American Sound.’
The article starts its survey with a section entitled ‘The People’s Opera.’ A fitting title as the first work, is a solo piece sung by Beverly Sills has a very Joan Cleaver feel, it seems to be a slice of Americana. In fact, its described as being part of a trend known as rural operas. It is interesting to note though that at this time it the Joan Cleaver feel might be as a result of technology available to record it. The clips were contemporaries to the actual staging of the opera so they appear a lot more authentic than say, a clip of a staging of Pucchini’s La bohème. The 50’s TV shows that these are reminiscent of were also recorded using the same technology, which is most likely why they bare a resemblance.
As an English speaker, and only an English speaker, Listening to an aria in my native langue was a bit awkward at first because I was naturally expecting it to be a struggle. The voice to just be another tonal instrument, like the past as. My skill set for actively listening and following a libretto leaves much to be desired, yet once I warmed up to the idea of English, I was actually able to kind of just let go and listen Frederica von Stade’s aria “On the Stroke of Midnight” from Dominic Argento’s,The Aspern Papers. It was a very natural experience I could only say I’ve been waiting too long for.
I have long been a fan of Glass, Reich, and minimalism as a whole. Indeed they have left their mark on American Opera as Glass’s Einstein on the Beach, is a brilliant work. It meets the necessary requirements to be deemed an Opera, and I haven’t seen it in its entirety but I feel that its not much of an deviation from his normal work. Essentially I feel as if his opera was forced on his stylings rather than him setting out to make an impression on opera. What I did find amazing though was John Adam’s, Nixon In China. I feel like it is a humanization of minimalism. The repetitive structure as well as the minimal and revolving tone bank are key elements found also in Einstein on the Beach, yet in Adam’s work, a script is much more evident as well as is character and plot development.
What I took away from reading this article and exploring the works within is that the authors sentiment that ‘America could be more proud of its operas,’ couldn’t be more true. They are lost in a myriad of multimillion dollar Broadway plays, (which often pull on the same strings Operas do). I for one have a new appreciation for American Opera as a class of its own. I believe that if one pulled the string from Broadway that they would likely find themselves in a seat at a theater watching Nixon in China.

 

http://www.npr.org/blogs/deceptivecadence/2012/05/09/152335654/talk-like-an-opera-geek-pioneering-an-american-sound

Posted in Student Post | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on American Opera… COMMEE ON!!!!

The Conservatory Orchestra and Choir at Brooklyn College

I had the pleasure of attending the conservatory orchestra and choir concert that was held at Brooklyn College on the night of May 5th.  The performance was held in the Whitman theater and promptly started at 7:30 p.m.  The orchestra performed three different works by Glinka, Bruch, and Handel.  The conservatory choir was only part of the Handel piece.

The first piece was composed by Mikhail Glinka, who was born in Novospasskoye, Russia on June 1, 1804.  Glinka died on February 15, 1857 in Berlin, Prussia which is now known as Germany.  Glinka was thought of as an “extraordinary phenomenon” because he was able to create such amazing music without having any formal training in composition.  The name of his work that was performed is Souvenir d’une nuit d’ete a Madrid, which lasted for about ten minutes.  A man named George Rothman was the conductor of the orchestra for this first performance. I have never listened to any of Glick’s music prior to attending this concert.  I really loved this entire piece, it started off very soft, slow, and subtle which led into a much louder and fast-paced melody.  This piece kept my attention throughout the entire performance because it had several small upbeat parts that occurred on an average of every other minute.

The second piece was composed by Max Bruch, who was born on January 6, 1838 in Cologne, Germany.  Bruch died on October 20, 1920 in Friedenau, Germany.  Bruch’s piece that was performed is entitled, Violin Concerto No.1 in G minor.  He began composing this piece when he was a teenager and finally completed it when he turned 28 years old.  Bruch became one of the most respected German composers of his time (the second half of the 19th century.)  George Rothman was also the conductor for this piece.  Violin Concerto No.1 in G minor is made up of three different movements with three different tempos.  The first movement was performed in the form of Vorspeil- Allegro moderato.  The second movement was performed in an Adagio pace and the third movement (finale) was performed in an Allegro energico pace.  Out of all the three pieces that were performed, this was my favorite one.  A woman named Alma Ramirez played violin while standing next to the conductor.  She did an absolutely beautiful job of performing the lead violin.  Watching her play was such a great experience because I could feel how passionate she was about the piece she was performing.

Posted in Concert, Student Post | Comments Off on The Conservatory Orchestra and Choir at Brooklyn College

Lindberg World Premiere at the New York Philharmonic

On Friday, May 4th, I attended the morning performance at the New York Philharmonic.  The pieces being performed that day were Carnival, Op. 92 by Antonín Dvořák, Piano Concerto No. 2 by Magnus Lindberg, and Symphony No. 4 in F minor Op. 36 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.  The piano concerto by Lindberg was actually a world premiere, being performed for the first time the night before.  Magnus Lindberg is the Marie-Josée Kravis Composer-in-Residence at the New York Philharmonic, and is finishing up his third and final year.  Piano Concert No. 2 is his fourth and final piece he created over his tenure at the Philharmonic.

Although I originally planned on writing this post about Tchaikovsky’s 4th Symphony, this piece in particular grabbed my attention because sounded similar to some of the music we have been studying in class lately.   Lindberg, a pianist himself, has a history of creating works with very complex themes and rhythmic patterns.  This piece is filled of complex atonal expressions from the piano, and the 38-piece orchestra accompaniment creates looming, almost gloomy textures with big bursts of energy constructing tidal waves of “random” sounding chords.

What was really what caught my eye about this piece was the pianist, virtuoso Yefim Bronfman.  His performance was astounding.  Lindberg’s piece is extremely complex and it seemed as though Bronfman had no problem with it at all.  In a video on the New York Philharmonic’s YouTube account, he discussed Piano Concerto No. 2 and the challenges of a piece like this “One never knows if you’re well prepared for such a complex and fascinating piece.  And also one has a sense of relief afterwards that it actually works.  Not only that it works but that it is a wonderful piece…  It is actually very, very difficult and some of the passages are almost unplayable.”

In a review of the performance in the New York Times, by Anthony Tommasini, gives a brilliant critique of Bronfman’s performance and technique “What made time pass quickly was Mr. Bronfman’s astonishing performance.  He mastered every challenge: thick chords that leap across the keyboard; spiraling bursts of runs and sputtering arpeggios; cascades of double thirds; finger-twisting counterpoint; on and on.  Only a select roster of pianists will be able to play the concerto.  Whatever fee Mr. Bronfman earned for this engagement, it was not enough.”

While discussing his second piano concerto (in the playbill from the performance), Lindberg expressed a need to go to the extreme with his compositions, something I feel he successfully achieved.  “The piano concerto is one of those genres that has such a load of history that a composer is challenged to imagine what can be added to it.  I don’t think you can truly do much in the direction of inventing entirely new textures for piano playing — although there are wonderful examples from Nancarrow, Cage, and Stockhausen, who came up with unforseen ways of playing the piano — so, for me, the challenge was to stretch expression to the extreme.”  His idea of extreme elements were undeniably expressed through this score, and he did a fantastic job while doing so.

Even though I thought this was a fantastic piece and can’t wait to hear it again, my friend that joined me for the performance fell asleep during it.  When he woke up he said “Nope. Don’t like it.”  Lindberg’s Piano Concerto No. 2 might not be for everyone, but it should be listened to at least once to understand the difficulty and intricacy of the piece (unfortunately since it was only premiered last week, there are no recordings of it online just yet, but check YouTube soon).

Click HERE for a link to Tommasini’s review of the performance in the New York Times.

Click HERE for a video of Yefim Bronfman and his take on Piano Concerto No. 2.

Click HERE for a short commentary from Alan Gilbert, the New York Philharmonic Music Director, about collaborating with Lindberg and Bronfman.

Posted in Student Post | Comments Off on Lindberg World Premiere at the New York Philharmonic