The program notes to "Life Between the Keys," a concert experience created by Greg and his piano class. It offers insight into life at The Juillaird School.
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In 2004, the graduating class of undergraduate pianists at The Juilliard School created a concert experience entitled "Life Between the Keys." The event dramatized the diversity of the group and its strong sense of community.
Read the program notes to this special concert here:
...the journey of 15 Juilliard pianists told through a survey of American piano music
“The concert reads like a book.
Each piece performed is a chapter to the story,
told by 15 distinctive storytellers.”
The Juilliard Undergraduate Piano Class of 2004
Top: Brian Hsu, Elizabeth Joy Roe, Orion Weiss, Teddy Robie, Greg Anderson, Gregory Brown
Bottom:
Michael Berkovsky, Hitomi Koyama, Joo-Yeon Lee, Melody Brown, Helen Huang, Rui Shi, Amanda von Goetz, Chenxin Xu, Hilary Coombs, James Jee
Genre: Virtuoso romanticism
Represents: America
Just like a baseball game, our concert begins with a rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Orion opens the program with excitement and gusto with this nineteenth century virtuosic fantasy, a fitting start to our celebration of America’s vibrant musical legacy.
Genre: Neo-Baroque
Represents: Auditions
Every pianist who auditions for Juilliard must perform a Bach Prelude and Fugue. This funky, Americanized recreation of one represents those fateful auditions that brought us together and serves as the perfect display piece for the unique artistic persona that got James in.
Genre: Ultra-modernism
Represents: Practice
Once accepted and in school, the bulk of our time was spent practicing, anywhere between 0 and 14 hours a day. The practice room is where intense effort and inspiration collide—nothing gets the job done better than an “etude.” Amid the interplay of voices in Curtis-Smith’s brilliantly conceived etude, Hilary articulates her own.
Genre: Impressionism
Represents: Diversity
Like a rare white peacock, each of us is a distinct individual. Our 16 diverse personalities make every minute together interesting, and our comfort with that leaves us peaceful and harmonious. The elegant Hitomi demonstrates her pianistic beauty through this impressionistic wonder.
Michael Berkovsky
Genre: Romanticism
Represents: Inner peace and Inner struggle
While we all enjoy the social scene, we have introverted sides as well. The program takes a reflective turn as Michael, a master of Romantic piano music, stops “to smell the wild roses.” Such inner peace is then juxtaposed with the inner struggle displayed in the sweeping “In Mid-Ocean.”
Genre: Innovation – cluster chords and extended techniques
Represents: Fate and Fear
The “Tides of Manaunaun” are the legendary cosmic waves that control the universe…and the fate we sometimes don’t understand. In The Banshee, innovative extended piano techniques are used with terrifying results. Without touching a key, Melody will contradict her name and wail, scream, and screech—as the banshee is known to do prior to tragedy—by shredding the insides of the piano.
Genre: Dissonant realism and Chance music
Represents: September 11, 2001 and The inexpressible
Tragedy hit all of us and in different ways over our four years at Juilliard. Serving as the emotional climax to the first half of the program, Joo-Yeon will remind us of one such tragedy that we endured together: 9-11. Composed 87 years ago during World War I, this piece unfortunately still relates to those traumatic events of today. She followed it with a performance of 4’33” by John Cage (four minutes and thirty three seconds of silence). For all those times when words or even music couldn’t express the emptiness within our hearts, this piece says it all. To quote Aldous Huxley: “After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.”
Genre: Serialism
Represents: Friendship
The next five performers take the program to a more intimate and personal level, beginning unusually with this highly chromatic dance by Babbitt. Teddy will meddle in the intricacies of these colorful works reflecting the tightly knit and carefully crafted friendships of our class….perhaps it takes 15 to tango.
Genre: Ragtime and Jazz/Ragtime
Represents: Innocence and Nightlife
Rui continues the dance theme in this classic Joplin rag, celebrating those times of innocence and bliss. It didn’t take much excuse to celebrate life, get out, and party the night away. Rui, the best partier we know, will tackle the century’s quintessential party piece as performed by the great jazz pianist, Art Tatum.
Genre: Modern ragtime
Represents: Temptation
This rag fantasy composed nearly 50 years later is the “Tiger Rag’s” devilish counterpart, hitting upon all those temptations New York and life threw upon us. Greg will attempt to detonate the piano as he navigates the keyboard by means of flair and seduction, octaves and elbows.
Genre: Jazz
Represents: Love
In the concluding measures to “The Serpent’s Kiss,” a musical quotation from “The Man I Love” is stated. The soulful Elizabeth will respond with her own passionate rendition on the unforgettably yearning melodies and sultry textures in Gershwin’s timeless song, reminiscing on loves had and loves lost.
Genre: “Ivesian” dissonance
Represents: Paradox and ambiguity
“The Seen and Unseen” begins with another musical quotation, this being of standard lounge music. The music increases in intensity to a dramatic conclusion only to be followed by the heavily driven toccata of cacophony, “Rough and Ready.” Originally composed in reference to a piano recital, it will test just how “ready” Brian is.
Genre: Minimalism
Represents: Personal transformation
Out of the chaos of the Ives, the gentle and simple undulations of tone in the Adams will be a great contrast to the ear. This minimalist work performed by Chenxin begins with a pattern of notes that slowly evolves and morphs, much like we have over the past four years spent together.
Genre: Romanticism
Represents: Dreams
Having outlined the journey we have traveled thus far, the remainder of the program looks towards the future. This work, composed 85 years before “China Gates,” begins with a minimalist accompaniment out of which a beautiful melody soars, carrying Helen and the audience into a world of glorious dreams.
Genre: Rock and roll
Represents: The future
Those dreams and aspirations are realized as the other Greg takes the stage. “Dreaming” was the calm before the insane storm displayed in this composition worthy of a legendary rock star. Head banging excitement leads to elbows and even feet on the keyboard in this rousing conclusion sure to bring an audience to their feet.
Don't miss...
...the opportunity to Recommend Music. Greg's interested to hear what music affects you and why. It's possible your recommendation may appear (in some form or another) on one of Greg's concerts in the future!
