Odds ’n’ Ends (5/12/19 and 5/30/19)

Sunday, May 12 found me at the Rodeph Sholom Theater Company, seeing their production of As You Like It in a musical adaptation by Shaina Taub. Clocking in with a cast of thirty-eight, the cast will not be listed here (you know who you are!). This was a community theater production like no other that I’ve seen. Minimal, but effective, sets, costumes, props, and lighting, with a quintet heavy on percussion performing the score, and sound design that included body mikes with those annoying (to me) microphones that look like little growths. But I digress. The cast of adults and children all performed well and seemed to be having a really good time to boot. Ms. Taub’s score is quite eclectic and it reminded me a great deal of her adaptation of Twelfth Night that I saw at Shakespeare in the Park last summer. This adaptation was also presented at/for Shakespeare in the Park. Maybe it was the more intimate setting in the basement of Congregation Rodeph Sholom, but I liked Like It better than Twelfth Night. Was I blown away by the performances? No. Did the production have a certain whimsical charm about it? It sure did. I enjoyed myself though I doubt I’d seek out another production of it (nor Twelfth Night for that matter).

Thursday, May 30 found me at my home away from home, Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts, for The Heart and Soul of the Piano, Michael Sellers, piano.

Four Sonatas: C minor, L. 352; C major, L. 104; E major, L. 23; A major, L. 395 – Domenico Scarlatti (1685–1757)
Sonata in E-flat major, Op. 81a “Les Adieux” – I. Adagio-Allegro, II. Andante espressivo, III. Vivacissimamente – Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)
Valse oubliee; Funerailles – Franz Liszt (1811–1886)
Clair de lune, from Suite Bergamasque – Claude Debussy (1860–1918)
Pastourelle; Toccata – Francis Poulenc (1899–1963)
Scherzo; Waltz; Polonaise – Frederic Chopin (1810–1849)

In general, I liked the Scarlatti pieces, and one (the E major) was very familiar to me. If you do a search on it, you might find that it’s familiar to you too. Its familiarity also made it a little bit difficult for me to listen to as this performance seemed to lack a certain grace that I associate with the piece.

The Beethoven continued that sort of style of playing that did not seem to make the music come alive to me, and that carried over into the Liszt, as well. As a result, I didn’t stick around for the Debussy, Poulenc, and Chopin. I just didn’t think I’d enjoy those composers played with a lack of grace, and I wasn’t expecting that they would be any different. I’ll never know, but I trust my instinct.

Oh, well—I know going in to all of these that they might not all work out.

Speaking of live and learn, vivacissimamente was new to me. Here’s how it comes about. Vivace – lively and fast (≈140 beats per minute) --> vivacissimo – very fast and lively --> vivacissimamente – adverb of vivacissimo, ‘very quickly and lively’. Now you know!

ConcertMeister