Kein Geld = Ungluckliches Madchen
Seriously, bummed here. I was so looking forward to the PianoTexas International Academy Festival's Amateur Concerto Concert tonight. (Ha, try saying that tens times fast.) But I found out that the Winners Concert (tonight) isn't free like the other auditions were, but instead is a whopping twenty-five bucks, which is a lot if you were planning on treating your parents to a nice symphonic music event.
I guess I could go alone tonight, but I know my dad was looking forward to it and I'd feel horrible going alone without him. He won't admit it, but I know the only musical events he likes being dragged to are the ones with a full-fledged symphony with some kind of concerto going on, he prefers violin, actually. It also is a pity that he won't let me pay for his ticket, being the dad that he is - he knows my money issues at the moment.
Last night was amazing though - Claude
claudia_bitu and I saw Antti Siirala perform an amazing recital. He performed several sets of variations as well as all twenty-four Chopin preludes in under two hours. I had a feeling he was going to use this Texas stop as another marker for 'how fast I can play this' but it was still magnificent. Not one mistake in the numerous runs, did I hear. Not ONE.
Not so much for the Brahms, though he deserved major points for bringing something seldom played to the audience. I'd never heard such a dark rhapsody and I enjoyed it thoroughly! The Mozart inspired by Gluck I definitely could have lived without. Somehow, when such a powerhouse like Brahms follows up a piece by Mozart, it makes you wonder why he picked it at all. (Well, he obviously picked it b/c it's light and 'pleasing' to an audience. Poo, give me more Brahms, or heck - chuck us some Russian composers, we're not afraid!)
Claude was especially impressed by the fact that he didn't seem to break a sweat - and she's right! I closely observed him after she whispered this to me and I noticed, not a single drop of sweat on his forehead. Neither did his back bend at all during playing - which astonished me, he must be incredibly fit to do that. When I start practicing, my posture starts to sag almost immediately after ten minutes or so. I know his back must have been aching the entire time, however. [Though he may be from Finland, I do say I wish he had more emotion in his playing..like the Russians.]
I was convinced by Claude to line up and meet with him and it was there I discovered he's part of that population of pianists that refuse to have their hands shaken. (I loathe pianists who do that, it's so rude! It's not like you use your hands just for the ivories.) I saw his wimpy hand exposed and with narrowed eyes I grasped it and gave it a few hearty pumps. I told him his playing was beautiful and whether or not he considered ever doing a recital of Liszt's variations? He gave me a strange look and said he didn't play much Liszt. (Travesty!)
I grilled him on his encore pieces and he seemed taken aback that I was actually curious. (Of course I was!) The first escapes my mind at the moment, but I remember the second being a Sibelius piece. Ah, Sibelius - what things of his do I love? All I know is I liked it and that's all that mattered.
Hopefully, I'll be able to attend the Olga Kern recital, though I rather doubt it.
[I also think I tracked down a Russian pianist from the 11th Van Cliburn competition - I know so because whenever I mentioned Olga's name, he had a scowl on his face. (She won gold, he nothing.)]
I guess I could go alone tonight, but I know my dad was looking forward to it and I'd feel horrible going alone without him. He won't admit it, but I know the only musical events he likes being dragged to are the ones with a full-fledged symphony with some kind of concerto going on, he prefers violin, actually. It also is a pity that he won't let me pay for his ticket, being the dad that he is - he knows my money issues at the moment.
Last night was amazing though - Claude
claudia_bitu and I saw Antti Siirala perform an amazing recital. He performed several sets of variations as well as all twenty-four Chopin preludes in under two hours. I had a feeling he was going to use this Texas stop as another marker for 'how fast I can play this' but it was still magnificent. Not one mistake in the numerous runs, did I hear. Not ONE.
Not so much for the Brahms, though he deserved major points for bringing something seldom played to the audience. I'd never heard such a dark rhapsody and I enjoyed it thoroughly! The Mozart inspired by Gluck I definitely could have lived without. Somehow, when such a powerhouse like Brahms follows up a piece by Mozart, it makes you wonder why he picked it at all. (Well, he obviously picked it b/c it's light and 'pleasing' to an audience. Poo, give me more Brahms, or heck - chuck us some Russian composers, we're not afraid!)
Claude was especially impressed by the fact that he didn't seem to break a sweat - and she's right! I closely observed him after she whispered this to me and I noticed, not a single drop of sweat on his forehead. Neither did his back bend at all during playing - which astonished me, he must be incredibly fit to do that. When I start practicing, my posture starts to sag almost immediately after ten minutes or so. I know his back must have been aching the entire time, however. [Though he may be from Finland, I do say I wish he had more emotion in his playing..like the Russians.]
I was convinced by Claude to line up and meet with him and it was there I discovered he's part of that population of pianists that refuse to have their hands shaken. (I loathe pianists who do that, it's so rude! It's not like you use your hands just for the ivories.) I saw his wimpy hand exposed and with narrowed eyes I grasped it and gave it a few hearty pumps. I told him his playing was beautiful and whether or not he considered ever doing a recital of Liszt's variations? He gave me a strange look and said he didn't play much Liszt. (Travesty!)
I grilled him on his encore pieces and he seemed taken aback that I was actually curious. (Of course I was!) The first escapes my mind at the moment, but I remember the second being a Sibelius piece. Ah, Sibelius - what things of his do I love? All I know is I liked it and that's all that mattered.
Hopefully, I'll be able to attend the Olga Kern recital, though I rather doubt it.
[I also think I tracked down a Russian pianist from the 11th Van Cliburn competition - I know so because whenever I mentioned Olga's name, he had a scowl on his face. (She won gold, he nothing.)]