Honeck, Grimaud & Tower

I'm going to miss Joan Tower's appearances at Heinz Hall to introduce her music. I've hear 4 or 5 of her compositions this season, and each one is fascinating in its own way.

As I mentioned in another blog post, the composition I liked most was 'Sequoia', which she wrote 30 years ago, and is by far the longer, but not necessarily more dynamic. All of her pieces are interesting, and after hearing 'Stroke' I find it to be the most dramatic, probably because of the way it fits so well to the subject matter.

This weekend last she introduced 'Stroke' which she dedicated to her brother who had a stroke. Apparently he was able to virtually attend this concert, because she indicated that the PSO arranged for it to be 'Skyped' to him. Technology can be an amazing and wonderful thing.

This composition, as well as the 'Sequoia', was able to capture the metaphorical musical representation of the phenomena she was attempting to portray. It was a bit of a scary journey, and the PSO handled the composition well. Just as Sequoia made be feel the vertical height and breadth of the massive tree, Stroke gave me a sense of the terrible debilitating effect.

Of all her compositions, Joan Tower indicated that Sequoia was the most difficult, and almost apologized for it to the orchestra members, way during the introduction. This was her last appearance this season with the orchestra.

As I said, I liked Joan Tower, and will miss her. She seems to be a down to Earth person, and at the same time we've seen the genius in her compositions. What a great combination.

---

Hélène Grimaud, piano
Manfred Honeck, conductor
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 23, K. 488

Hélène Grimaud has a great smile, and great hands. Really, to see her hands range up and down the piano, and to hear that beautiful music with the fabulous Mozart concerto no. 23, was a real treat. I took photos of her at intermission, and with every person she beamed a beautiful smile, it was infectious. My only regret was that I didn't get in line to get an autograph myself, because the line was too long and I'd miss the second half of the program. I hope the PSO has her back again.

One more reason I like Hélène Grimaud -- her fascination with nature and wolves: "Wolves are like most wild creatures," Grimaud says. "They want to be left alone." I can relate to that myself with my frequent trips to nature, with only my camera in tow. At the Westmoreland Conservancy in Murrysville, the signs sometimes say: 'Leave only footprints, take only pictures'...

Hélène Grimaud, Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 23

Hélène Grimaud, piano
Manfred Honeck, conductor
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 23, K. 488

Final Alice with Hila Plitmann and the PSO

Final Alice is based on the last two chapters of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and is sung by soprano talent Hila Plitmann. This performance was completely amazing. I was was nothing less than 'awe-struck,' that's the best way to describe it. I didn't really take notes during the performance because I wanted to really just sit there and observe.

Hila Plitmann basically stole the show, and well she should because it centered around her performance as Alice and all the rest of the characters in the story. The symphony at times would play loudly, and occasionally drown out her voice, yet I was still mesmerized. Some of the scenes were way out there, like nothing experienced before. Others were softer and very tonal, with memorable melodies and music.

During the post concert chat with Leonard Slatkin, Hila Plitmann and composer David del Tredici, conductor Slatkin asked Ms Plitmann "How do you prepare for this?"

Ms. Plitmann: "It's the best challenge out there. I had an interview the other day, and I was told about something you had said about what it takes to prepare for something like this as a singer and I feel that the wonderful think for me, I don't know how it happened in my life, but somehow the set of skills that I have seem to fit with this. There's a lot of things I can' do but this I seem to be able to do."

Mr. Slatkin: "The range, low-A to high-D, so we're talking two and a half octaves"

Mr. Tredici: "But I think the terrible thing is how it sits high for so long. The occasional high note is not so hard but a low note is high-A, I mean the way it stays there, in that first aria. Then you have to talk - I was wondering, is that a problem to talk and sing, alternating it?"

Ms. Plitmann: "It's not so much while it's happening, right now you can hear my voice is a little, sounds like a chipmunk, and that's part of the process of having to do something like this"

Audience question: "I have to commend you on that tremendous performance. It's incredible to even memorize that sort of body of work, and to work in not only the opera, but the speaking parts and know the story line and the timing -- that's just an incredible thing. While that popping was going on (problem with the microphone) to keep your train of thought, that was amazing" [My friend Miklos Sarkozi]

Ms. Plitmann: "Thank you so much."

Mr. Tredici: "And let me say, the way that Maestro Slatkin shaped one hour - the way it was shaped makes an enormous difference - it was just masterfully done."

Mr. Slatkin: "It's a journey, the fact that the piece begins and ends the same way, with that one note in the oboe, it sets off the journey, and I've done this piece 5 or 6 times over the course of 5 years."

---

I anxiously await the next time Hila Plitmann appears with the PSO!


Post-Concert Artist Chat, discussion of Final Alice, with conductor Leonard Slatkin, Hila Plitmann and composer David del Tredici.

---

ps: sorry this post is late, I've been busy all week taking photos of immature Great-horned Owl chicks...

Variations on a theme by Prokofiev

Peter and the Wolf had a distinctly Pittsburgh theme this weekend past, performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Leonard Slatkin and narrated wonderfully by David Conrad. I've never seen Mr Conrad on TV, but in person, he did a great job narrating the Peter and the Wolf, especially with the variations which included some of the following:

• Penndot
  
• Doppler Radar
  
• Traffic on Greentree Hill
  
• Most livable pond (for the duck)
  
• 'Yins can't flap
  
• Leaving Lawn Chairs to reserve parking space
  
• Cat named U.P.M.C
  
• Meadow - near Cleavland
  
• Orange traffic cones
  
• Steeler Man
  
• Scratch my back with a hacksaw
  
• Double Yoy
  
• Blond woman reporter on the scene
  
• 15 yard penalty
  
• Empty bankrupt IC beer cans
  
• Still haven't gotten over the Superbowl
  
• Tail-gating parties
  
• Father was Charlie Sheen
  
• Sitting on a natural gas bonanza
  
• Sick and tired of the whole Frackin' mess
  

It was very humorous, and the music by the symphony was delightful.

Twisted Storybook Favorites with the PSO

Stage at Heinz Hall, Twisted Storybook Favorites with the PSO


Concert Prelude, discussion of Final Alice, with composer David del Tredici and Marah Gubar, Director of Children's Literature program and faculty at the University of Pittsburgh; moderated by WQED-FM's Jim Cunningham


Mad Hatter at Heinz Hall lobby, Twisted Storybook Favorites with the PSO


Artist at Heinz Hall lobby, Twisted Storybook Favorites with the PSO


Artist at Heinz Hall lobby, Twisted Storybook Favorites with the PSO


Twisted Storybook Favorites with the PSO


Post-Concert Artist Chat, discussion of Final Alice, with conductor Leonard Slatkin, Hila Plitmann and composer David del Tredici


Post-Concert Artist Chat, discussion of Final Alice, with conductor Leonard Slatkin, Hila Plitmann and composer David del Tredici


Items on Display at Heinz Hall lobby


Alice's Adventures in Wonderland illustration by Salvador Dali


Alice Liddell photo by Lewis Carroll, Heinz Hall lobby


new sculpture at Heinz Hall