This week I performed Poulenc's Two Piano Concerto with my friend Randy Schilb and the Columbia Civic Orchestra in Columbia, Missouri.
Lloyd Arriola had recommended the piece to us, and it was a very good recommendation. One reason for this is that Poulenc's style requires very little fluctuation of tempo, so it presents very few ensemble problems. This is important when there may not be a lot of rehearsal time available. Another reason that this was a good choice for this situation is that there's something interesting for everyone in the orchestra to play, and as Randy pointed out, in a volunteer orchestra, people want to play! The other piece that we seriously considered was by Mozart and wouldn't have provided the winds and percussion with so much to do.
The Concerto is packed with neat details regarding instrumentation such as a duet between the first piano and the principal cellist at the end of the first movement. The orchestral parts often seem to grow right out of the piano parts. This is a pleasure for the musicians. What's more, the two audiences for which we've played this piece really seemed to enjoy it.
No comments:
Post a Comment