Lou Harrison
by ajar on 3/7/11Lisner Auditorium - WashingtonIt was an unforgettable concert - so rich, so beautiful and so well performed. The shame was that the auditorium was over half empty due to poor publicity.
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It was an unforgettable concert - so rich, so beautiful and so well performed. The shame was that the auditorium was over half empty due to poor publicity.
Samplings of Lou Harrison's unique compositions were on display at this educational and entertaining concert. The Wesleyan University gamelan ensemble allowed attendees to not only hear but also see the gamelan instruments being played. Having the opportunity to learn some things about Harrison's life, from his varied musical immersions through his personal angst to exorcise his demons, added to the experience. The 30-minute piano concerto played by Benjamin Pasternack was masterful. While the "experts" debate the special tuning preferred by Harrison, listeners benefited in the resulting gamelan-style sounds that were produced. New to me were the direct-fingering of the piano sound board and the use of water bowls. The chorus was excellent and gave listeners another facet of Harrison's expertise, poetic verse, and they were a fine complement to the Post-Classical Ensemble's fine performance. The experience of this musical coupling of eastern ceremonial music and western classical compostion made the evening a memorable experience.