Midland Symphony Orchestra plays “Smooth as Glass”

Midland Center for the Arts

Saturday, November 7, 2015, 7:30 p.m.

Symphony No. 4 “Heroes,” Philip Glass

Piano Concerto No. 3, Rachmaninoff

Natasha Paremski, piano

 

On Saturday evening, the Midland Symphony Orchestra performed at Midland Center for the Arts for their concert “Smooth as Glass.” I enjoyed the concert. I liked the variety, as the first piece was very different from the piece after intermission. It was a modern composition and then a classical piece.

Only two pieces were played, albeit long ones, one before intermission and one after. The first piece was Philip Glass’s “Symphony No. 4 ‘Heroes.’” The piece was six movements, which included: Heroes, Abdulmajid, Sense of Doubt, Sons of the Silent Age, NeuKöln, and V2 Schneider.

The piece was an interpretation of David Bowie’s album “Heros.” The conductor, Bohuslav Rattay, invited MSO bassist to introduce the piece. He said that this piece of Glass’s was more melodic than his other work because it was adapted from Bowie’s music. I think it would be a great piece to introduce people to Phillip Glass as his style is minimal and, as the bassist pointed out, his music isn’t what you’re expecting. Its unconventional nature makes it an acquired taste as we tend to like what is familiar tempered with some variety and surprise.

Although I listen to David Bowie, I don’t know his music super well. I think it would be interesting to listen to it and compare it to Glass’s interpretation. I wonder what elements Glass took and what he changed.

After intermission, guest Russian-American pianist Natasha Paremski played Rachmaninoff’s “Piano Concerto No. 3.”

Paremski was very good. Her fingers moved so fast that, in the two videos projected on the sidewalls, her fingers blurred on video. I guess they moved quicker than 30 frames per second! Her fingers weren’t always curved, but were held sometimes in boxy shapes so she could hit the precise notes. For the whole piece there would have been thousands of micro-movements she had memorized. You could tell she had assiduously studied the piece as this is the type of piece where your movements would have to be in muscle memory or it would be impossible to play. It was also amazing with all the chords that weren’t near each other on the keyboard. She had to quickly move over the whole keyboard and hit multiple notes precisely with a minimal frame of reference. “Piano Concerto No. 3” by Rachmaninoff is notoriously known as being one of the most technically challenging piano concertos. At least that’s what it said in the playbill. Paremski would have had you think otherwise.

Paremski wore a sparkling gown that glistened in the stage light, subtly contrasting everyone else dressed in black. Rattay directed the orchestra but every other second he moved his head to look at Paremski to take his cues. Usually the orchestra accompanied the piano. But sometimes she soloed and other times she had rests while the orchestra played. The first time, I didn’t realize the orchestra had dropped out until they came back in. When Paremski wasn’t playing she clasped her hands and rested them on her lap in the tradition of good stage presence, not drawing attention to yourself when someone else is the focal point.

Almost all the seats in the auditorium where filled, give a few rows in the back and a seat here or there near the front. Both pieces before and after intermission got standing ovations.

I definitely would have attended the concert again.