Opus Colorado

On Saturday night, January 15, the Boulder Philharmonic orchestra provided a genuinely memorable experience. First, the programming was absolutely superb as well as a little surprising. And second, because the audience got to hear David Korevaar play Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto Nr.3. The program was interesting because of the contrast between the two halves: before the intermission, and after the intermission. Before the intermission, the composers were Astor Piazzolla, Frank Zappa, and Arturo Márquez. Piazzolla is an Argentine composer, Márquez is Mexican, and, of course, Frank Zappa is an American composer. The point, here, is that the first half of the program dealt with tangos and music from the Americas, and the second half with the lush and breathtaking Rachmaninoff concerto. 

I certainly wish that some doctoral student would take clues from Robert Stevenson and Gilbert Chase, both of whom were musicologists and scholars on Latin American music, and the music of South America. The doors they left open have not been passed through. No one has yet written a good comprehensive study on the music of Argentina. There have been some very good studies on Argentine folk music, for example, the work done by Carlos Vega and Juan Alvarez. Undoubtedly, the best work was done by Isabel Aretz, but still there has been nothing done on Argentine concert music except for a few incomplete books co-authored by Frederic Miller, Agnes Vandome, and John McBrewster. The tango is very important, because more than any other dance form (and I really don’t think this is an exaggeration) it has strongly affected the composers of Argentina and their concert works. 

Astor Piazzolla was certainly no exception. He studied composition with Ginastera in Buenos Aires, and with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. It was Boulanger who encouraged him to concentrate on the tango because, as she put it, it was in the tango that he found his calling. I think there is no question that Piazzolla exposed unexpected treasures in the tango form, more than any other composer from Argentina, except for our local treasure, composer Luis Jorge González. 

The first piece on the program which Piazzolla entitled “Tangazo” opens in the low strings playing in unison. It is slow, and very dark indeed. Because of the way it is written one expects to hear a Chaconne, because soon the violas enter with the same theme, and then the violins. It is absolutely totally beautiful, and yet very heavy. Almost Bartok-ian (please excuse the made-up word, but it fits). It seemed to me as if the orchestra members may have been a little nervous, because when the violins entered, they were just a little out of tune, but that was soon corrected. And certainly, Maestro Butterman seemed to know that the orchestra was capable of better, and would accomplish it because he did not flinch at all. It was only noticeable due to the incredible unisons that were being played. It seems now is the time for me to make a few comments about the Boulder Phil and the way they play at this point in their life. I have not heard them perform since 2007 when they premiered a work by the above-mentioned Luis González, entitled “The Wondrous City.” And no, I have not been slothful. I live in South Littleton and cannot always get to Boulder. The way the orchestra played then, and the way they play now, is marked. And mind you, they were good in 2007. It is, however, abundantly clear that Butterman has been working hard to add new members, but also members that are more highly skilled. The orchestra truly sounded fine. Throughout the entire concert, the woodwinds, particularly clarinet and bassoon, were totally superb. The horn section has also improved immensely. There is no denying that this orchestra has a brand-new rich sound, which is extremely noticeable when one has not heard the gradual improvement. 

In the Piazzolla, the French horns really stood out and did some wonderful work, even though in one small section there was a burble or two. The full orchestra eventually enters with the theme played on the orchestral piano (as opposed to solo piano) and percussion. Somehow, from this tango rhythm, Piazzolla manages to work out a march at the end, and the piece closes on some soft chords from the woodwinds. This was wonderfully played, and the new confidence with which the orchestra played was quite noticeable. 

The next two works on the program were by the American composer Frank Zappa, who is finally coming into his own as a good orchestral composer. He was born in 1940, and suffered an untimely death in 1993 due to cancer. Since rock, and its current variations, seems to be the pathway to stardom for the latest generation, his compositions of musique concrète, electronic music, his artwork, and his film work as director, have largely been overshadowed. It reminds me a little bit of Liszt whose reputation as a virtuoso overshadowed his genius as a composer for almost all of his entire life. But, as the program notes state, “Frank Zappa was an iconoclast, innovator, securest, and above all, American composer.” Note, American composer. The two works on the program, “Be-bop Tango” and “G-Spot Tornado,” are very good pieces and, both of them are incredibly difficult, particularly G-Spot Tornado. Bebop came out of the 1940s and was a product left over from the swing era. It was an element of jazz that had exceedingly fast tempos, and therefore, made it very difficult for jazz musicians to play. It also made great use of chromaticism which further increased its difficulties. The Boulder Phil did not seem to mind any of these difficulties, and there was some wonderful playing from the clarinets and the trumpets. It was a brilliant tango which eventually moved in to the full-bore bebop tango, and Butterman certainly knew how to conduct this piece. It has always amazed me to watch conductors work, even when I have performed with them. The reason? They seem to know, they seem to have, the knack of communicating what the music requires to the orchestra – even so, keep in mind that orchestra members know something about music also! But the communication is something to watch, and Butterman does it very well. Of course, that’s what conductors do, but it sometimes seems to come perilously close to a black art. The second Zappa piece on the program was G-Spot Tornado. This work, as Maestro Butterman explained at the concert, was an arrangement for orchestra (live musicians) of a work which was originally all electronic with no live musicians. It was done at the request of some German musicians who wanted to play the piece. Now, imagine this: think of all the intricacies that can be created with computers and synthesizers. It is limited only by two things: one) the composer’s imagination, and two) the quality and megabyte power of the electronic equipment on hand. This is not troublesome at all until you begin to transcribe it for an orchestra of live musicians. I bring this up only because it will be food for thought when thinking of the difficulty of this work. It is genuinely hard. It was also genuinely wonderful. To put it crudely, the orchestra played its brains out. And it most certainly gave Maestro Butterman a work out as well. But what a great piece! And what imaginative programming. 

Programming. What a word that is! Sometimes, I think it strikes terror in the board of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. I wish their programming was as imaginative as the Boulder Philharmonic’s. Dare I say it, but I sometimes think the CSO board does not seem to be as educated (sophisticated) as the Boulder Phil board. Why? Because the CSO seems to be afraid of offending the audience. They always seem to be having a “Russian Festival” or a “Brahms Festival.” In addition, the CSO does not usually have truly knowledgeable people to conduct pre-concert talks, except when the guest soloists conduct the post-concert talks. 

Just before the intermission, the Boulder Phil performed “Danzón Nr. 2,” by the Mexican composer Arturo Márquez. This is the piece that brought Márquez’ music to the forefront of the public awareness, and established him as Mexico’s foremost composer of orchestral music. This is a truly beautiful piece of music, and there was some very fine clarinet work from the orchestra. It seems to me, that for a tango to be truly successful, it must be as natural – casual? – to us in the United States as it is to an Argentine. And that is what the Boulder Philharmonic did Saturday night. They infused the Marquez Danzón Nr. 2 with a casualness and a naturalness which was completely disarming. They made it seem so very easy, and Maestro Butterman was almost nonchalant on the podium. It gave the impression that the Boulder Phil had been playing tangos since their inception. It was a wonderful performance of a beautiful piece, and I for one, will keep this performance in mind for a long time. 

Another wonderful performance followed the intermission. And that was David Korevaar’s performance of the Rachmaninoff Concerto Nr. 3. I have grown so tired in the last 10 years of Rachmaninoff performances that have been so incredibly indulgent by the soloists’ open display of their own technique. It is as if the performers keep saying, “Look here, audience. I have the same keyboard technique that the great Rachmaninoff had.” Well, that’s doubtful. It is, at this point, easy to remember the words of Oscar Wilde: “…the young are always ready to give to those who are older than themselves the full benefits of their experience.” The point being, that they infuse the music with themselves, rather than what the composer wants. Rachmaninoff was probably one of the greatest pianists since Liszt (there are a few others), but he was always a musician first and a pianist second. And that is a perfect description of David Korevaar. His posture at the piano reminded me of videos that I have seen of Rachmaninoff, and also of what people have told me about Rachmaninoff who actually saw him play. He simply sat at the piano, almost always erect, and his hands were always totally relaxed. There were no superfluous movements. There was no doubt when Korevaar was “hard at work,” but the relaxation and the total concentration were always there. And, of course, that’s what it takes. One could tell that this concerto was very well formed in his mind as he played. The tempos were perfect, and I can guarantee you they were Rachmaninoff’s tempos because Korevaar was clearly honoring what Rachmaninoff wanted. There was none of the excessive moments and gestures that one would see in some of the aspiring young pianists of today. This was a mature performance and it was absolutely glorious. It was interesting to watch the interaction between Butterman and Korevaar. There was no question that Butterman knew that Korevaar was an utterly reliable pianist. That is to say that Korevaar knew where he was in the score, that he was totally prepared, but more than that, he has the equipment to handle himself musically in every respect in front of an audience where he genuinely wanted to present Rachmaninoff’s music, rather than himself. And, believe me; he has the technical ability to do what Rachmaninoff requests. As a result, Butterman didn’t have to look at him in order to give cues. They only made eye contact in the tricky spots where they had to be absolutely and totally together. What a comfortable feeling that must be. The rhythmic jabs that are so characteristic of Rachmaninoff were all there with great naturalness. The phrasing was all there with great ease. It was spellbinding. 

I would also like to point out that finally I have heard a performance where the piano was in good shape. It seems that in the last five or six years that I have attended concerts here in Denver, that the soloists have never had a decent piano on which to play. They have always needed voicing, and before the concert was over they were always out of tune. Under any and all circumstances that is inexcusable. But Saturday night, the piano that David Korevaar performed on sounded well-nigh perfect. I have since found out that the technician was Robert Cloutier. He is the technician employed by CU in Boulder. I quote from the website generously supplied to me by Janet Braccio: 

“Robert Cloutier is a nationally recognized Artist Technician specializing in the rebuilding and concert preparation of Steinway pianos. His background includes training at Steinway of New York and London, more than two decades of concert experience throughout the U.S. and abroad, and Senior Technician appointments at The Manhattan School of Music, Thornton School of Music, University of Oregon, and W. Va. University. At CU-Boulder he offers a piano tech class designed to educate pianists in the nomenclature of the piano, its specifications, and in performing minor repairs.” 

One would like to think that the different organizations in Denver could find such a technician. 

This was a concert the likes of which I have not heard for some time. What a delight!