August 22 & 23 - Repeat Recitals at the St. Paul Conservatory of Music

I take my mission very seriously - it plays into every decision I make regarding the concert experience, from the layout of the program booklet to my last bow on stage. These recitals at the Saint Paul Conservatory of Music justify every bead of sweat that goes into making my mission a reality.

I devoted the first half of the program to representations of and reactions to war, as seen in piano music during the last 200 years. I personally was affected by the juxtaposition of music – it’s amazing to see how perceptions have changed over time - and I reacted viscerally to the onslaught of sound. More than ever, I felt chills while performing "Sheep May Safely Graze" (Bach) after having just made my way through hell, experienced a "suicide in an airplane" (Ornstein), and lamented the loss of friends who died in combat (Ravel). The biggest struggle of the evening was the first piece on the program, Viguerie's The Battle of Maringo, composed in 1804. The piece is shockingly difficult to pull off effectively. While the technical difficulties and overall mediocrity of the piece certainly didn't help my cause, I did my best; and thanks to my narrator (Peter Kirwin) and various canon detonators, I think the result was actually something to remember!

To contrast the gravitas of the first half, I devoted the second half to the topic of "Drift." As Bruce Mau stated in Life Style: "Drift. Allow yourself to wander aimlessly. Explore adjacencies. Lack judgment. Postpone criticism." It's certainly a difficult concept to convey to an audience, particularly to those who aren't in the mood to "drift," but I was very happy with the result. With so many competitions out there (from international piano competitions to American Idol) audience members have been trained to listen critically, and it's surprisingly easy to lose touch with the simple joys of music. I designed this half to remind audience members of why we fell in love with music in the first place.

Between the two evenings, we found 11 different audience participants on stage producing canon fires, announcing saber blows, riding log flumes, eating gold, and detailing the indigestion of octopuses. Thank you to the two sold-out crowds of enthusiastic and diverse music listeners. The concerts wouldn't have been the same without you.

I had a ball.

June 20 & 21 - Gina Bachauer International Piano Festival

This piano festival, run by Paul Pollei, was awesome. The facilities, instruments, and administration were what every concert pianist dreams of. The concert series encouraged creative thinking and was willing to cater to the whims of whatever the pianists could envision. Liz and I enjoyed great lighting, working microphones, and a hearty and responsive audience. As a result, we were able to focus on our performances, which went pleasingly well.

Some musical highlights:
*The Cat's Fugue (a brand new piece that I composed for the event - I was surprised by how much I liked the composition ... we'll be playing that again ...)
*The 9th through the 16th minute of "The Rite of Spring." I was definitely on a musical high, unaware of anything else but the awesomeness of the music.
*The "Turtle Staying Alive," the "Cuckoo in Sussex," and "Jackasses." These movements from our New Depiction of the Zoological Fantasy were performed to my liking and received with great enthusiasm by our audience.

Since I'm supposed to be reviewing my performances, I will be honest and confess that I ran out of steam during our "Flair and Fury" concert on the 21st. While we managed to make it through the excitement of our Blue Danube walzes, I just couldn't barrel to the end with my usual gusto. Thankfully, after the non-stop virtuosity of that concert, our audience was forgiving. :-)

If you attended any of the concerts, what were your favorite moments? Least favorite moments?