The Power of an Awe-Inspiring Performance

Last night, I had the opportunity to hear a performance by renowned pianist Piotr Anderszewski with three of my students. 

As a musician (pianist) who is usually hard at work on stage, I sometimes forget what it feels like to be in the audience... much less what it's like to experience a profound and total feeling of awe. It brought to mind an article I recently read on the health-benefits of awe in our lives (http://www.collective-evolution.com/2017/01/30/feeling-awe-may-be-the-secret-to-health-happiness/).

Although I've heard great things about Anderszewski's playing, I wasn't at all prepared for what I was going to hear. I expected nice piano music. Impressive playing. Solid memorization. A large range of dynamics. 

What he created was actually an expertly crafted novel, from the first note to the last. We hung on to every "word" as it was told to us, waiting for more, and spinning wilding through the adventures he shared with us (and, as I knew some of the repertoire quite well, this effect especially impressed me!). We transcended time and space. His beautiful choreography paired with an infinite color-wheel of sound, that seemed to defy the possibilities of even the best of pianos.

I asked them my students at intermission, "Do you... Can you... feel what he is doing with the music?" They did. We talked about everything from memorization to practicing to style, program order, and life on the road. What a gift to be able to open the door to curiosity and possibility through this performance! 

The Bach did indeed prove his brilliant ability to take us on a tour of an enchanted castle, visiting rooms of ornate decor full of beautifully-dressed dancing to live music (a new ensemble for each). Anderszewski created a new acoustic for each room, and took on the role of choreographer and conductor.

The performance was followed by Q&A, giving us a chance to learn more about the performer as a person.  Here are some of his highlights:

• Order and form come first. Freedom comes second. Don't be fooled: Chopin is not freer than Bach!
• Few (if any) pieces are "abstract." Imagination and storytelling are indeed a part of the process and performance.
• Performers always feel guilt for not practicing enough. We have to think about the long-term investment. Day-of practicing won't cut it; it's more about the six-months leading to the performance. You work hard, then let it rest and come to fruition.
• You can't control the audience (who they are, what they expect, what they think of you). You have to just accept it. 
• Meeting a new piano just a few hours before a performance is hard. Sometimes... it's a nightmare. A concert is a combination of the performer, instrument, space (acoustics) and audience. It's chemistry... 
• Fave pianists: Richter, Michelangeli, Sokolov
• Ideally, the pianist performers the composer, but also is giving their own voice to the music. It is a balance; the composer is not performing the music through the pianist, but the pianist is seeking to find the natural voice of the music. And the music affects the performer.
• Look and/or Listen? It's your choice. Just enjoy the concert experience :)