Music Director Lawrence Kohl of Pacific Chamber Orchestra (PCO) presents superstar pianist Denis Pascal playing the Ravel Piano Concerto in G major along with the Brahms Symphony No. 3 in F major on Saturday September 14, 7:30pm at the Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church in Lafayette.
“Denis Pascal’s individual style when playing the great repertoire places him among the finest French pianists of his generation,” said Sung-Won Yang, Artistic Director of the Beethoven Festival, Beaune, France. With his intense international engagements and far from his usual venues such as Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Lincoln Center in New York City and Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., Denis returns to the East Bay to perform again with Maestro Kohl and PCO.
Ravel begins his 1931 Piano Concerto in G major with “Allegramente” (cheerily, merrily, gaily, joyfully) and we are off to the races – or is it the circus?” The crack of a whip snaps the piccolo into play and we go bounding through the entire orchestra from there with the verve that only jazz and a piano can bring. The second movement, “Adagio assai,” (slowly) in total contrast, leads us into a hypnotic serenity. A solo flute, then oboe, flute and clarinet carry the melody to a new theme. Next the piano sings iridescent harmonies. The third movement, “Presto,” (suddenly, super-fast, quickly) opens as if you are running down Madison Avenue in rush hour. We hear phrases perhaps from his visit to the Cotton Club and Gershwin playing Rhapsody in Blue for him. Ravel’s mastery of orchestration gets the sublime best out of every single instrument.
Brahms’ first three notes, F A-flat F, of his 1883 Symphony No. 3 in F major are what his friend Max Kalbeck called Brahms’ "musical cipher" for frei aber froh, (free but happy). This cipher held deep personal meaning for Brahms, whose reticent nature kept him from making personal remarks about his work. This was an exception. Brahms’ snarky response came about when his friend Joseph Joachim related his own musical motto, F A E, frei aber einsam (free but lonely). The emotions Brahms evokes combine the serious and the playful, creating a compelling drama that moves the soul. It was received at its premiere with thunderous applause. Indeed, Brahms worried how he could top it!
Begun by Music Director Lawrence Kohl in 1989, PCO has performed to critical acclaim in San Francisco, Walnut Creek, Napa and now in Livermore and Lafayette. The San Francisco Chronicle wrote, “An electrifying performance. Kohl’s avid direction gave the music just the right blend of public rhetoric and intimate delicacy.” PCO’s educational programs introduce classical music to over 6,000 elementary school children each year and provides clinics for middle and high school music ensembles.