Thursday, December 17, 2020

92Y Online Concert - Jeremy Denk, piano. Viewed December 17, 2020.

Concert recorded Sunday December 13, 2020.  Part of the 10-concert subscription series.

Program

MOZART: Sonata No. 14 in C Minor, K. 457
BLIND TOM WIGGINS: The Battle of Manassas
JOPLIN: Heliotrope Bouquet (arr. Chauvin)
TANIA LEÓN: Rituál
FREDERIC RZEWSKI: Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues
BEETHOVEN: Sonata No. 32 in C Minor, Op. 111



Ellie and family were baking Christmas cookies at house on December 13, so I didn't get to see this live.  From the closing credits it appears the concert was not recorded on the 92Y stage, but somewhere in San Francisco instead.

Regardless of when or where it was recorded, this is a concert one will enjoy no matter when one sees it.

Below are some of the notes I took during my viewing of the event.

After Mozart, Denk talked about bookending the recital with the tragic sonatas by Mozart and Beethoven, which to him is a reflection of the year.

The Battle of Manassas is a collection of favorite "patriotic" tunes woven together as a fantasy/impromptu.

Joplin's unmistakable sound followed.

Rzewski's Cotton Mill Blues started sounding like a cotton mill (as close as the piano can come to imitate it).  Keys hit with entire palm and fist.

(Not sure what happened to the Tania Leon piece!)

Talked about the Beethoven sonata.  Beethoven used C Minor key multiple times.  Some Bach themes.  In two movements.  Second a set of variations with infinite patience.  Long-short-long- series of themes, gets into the wilderness, and comes back.




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