Classical Culture on a Sunday

The Old Bedford School presents their Van Cliburn Concert Series, and it is a great way to appreciate classical music. I need to expand my knowledge, and this series has been a joy.

For my third foray into classical music, I heard Mariangela Vacatello this past Sunday, May 5th. She was a Van Cliburn finalist in 2009 and has enjoyed worldwide success. She performed:

Ravel - Ondine from Gaspard de la nuit  I found this to be light and airy. Keep in mind I do not have a professional music vocabulary, but it struck me as vivacious.

Beethoven - Piano Sonata op. 53 and Waldstein (the Dawn) -  with Beethoven I often feel like I know the music. It must show up in movie themes or something. Anyway, this was fairly bright and cheery music.

Chopin - Nocturnes in D flat and Major Borealis     She went from light to dark. This was brooding and the Nocturnes proved to be my favorite. Again it sounded familiar.

Rachmaninov - Piano Sonata n.2 in B flat minor     So dramatic. Russian piano creation at its best

Her fingers flew and she played with feeling and expression. Vacatello is a tiny thing with long dark hair. Her English with the Italian accent was charming and musical as she explained her choices.

This proved to be a delightful afternoon. I'm grateful for culture in my own backyard (truly - just fifteen minutes from my house - not a flight to La Scala).

Recital : Di Wu

I'll be honest. I know nothing about classical music. Wish I'd taken a music appreciation class in college. But, the City of Bedford brought a world class Van Cliburn finalist to the Old Bedford School. Small venue. Amazing acoustics. And WOW! The young lady's fingers were a blur as she played a very French theme of her choosing. As a graduate of Juilliard, Di Wu has presence and passion. She explained our journey with the composers she chose, and it was a revelation for me.

Sad birds chirping in the trees - her fingers transformed the feelings to notes. A boat on the ocean - adrift with waves pounding and then under control. Fireworks - oh, yeah - the fingers flew for the explosion of sound. This was an extremely entertaining evening. Creativity abounded. All I can do is stand and applaud.

Van Cliburn Part 2 (Deux)

More angles of the angels at Bass Hall. So dramatic and such a pretty day for an international piano competition. Thursday 5.28.09 was splendid for a semi-final round and I enjoyed my afternoon immersed in a completely different world. I kept my mouth shut and listened to the musicians, to the audience, and then read the paper for what I should have heard or appreciated.

The kids all sounded great to me. Nary a false note in my humble opinion. I've read reviews that there's grandstanding, or rushing, or a steely sound. Huh?? Mariangela Vacatello (Italy) played a Nocturne for the Left Hand that was awesome. I hope she doesn't lose points just because her right hand rested on the top of the Steinway. Ran Dank (Israel) played chamber music with the Takacs Quartet. He was absolutely fine on his Brahms Piano Quintet in E Minor. The Quartet was a tad annoying - lots of violin drama and shaggy hair shaking. It was hard to see our sensitive young man, but he sounded lovely to me. Finally, Evgeni Bozhanov (Bulgaria) an obvious crowd favorite, proved flamboyant, dramatic, and fun. I personally liked the more "modern" White Lies for Lomax by Bates. It proved intricate, familiar, and intriguing. Hmm - does it sound like I know what I'm talking about. Nah.

All in all, there's pacing. There are sound levels - loud, quiet, playful, and moody. Between movements, the silence is like the white space in a poem. Take your time, pause, and then move on. And there's plenty of drama to keep one's interest. Kinda like writing. Sometimes, there's description and sometimes there's action. Just keep turning the pages and you'll enjoy the full story or experience.

Whew! Check out http://cliburn.org for the live webcast and information. This prestigous competition keeps Ft.Worth Texas on the music map. Kudos to Bass Hall, Sundance Square, Parking lots, and the City of Fort Worth - all an entertainment experience extraordinaire.

Joanne

(hiding her Billy Joel CDs for awhile)