Annual Piano Feast
Classical Sounds (SHANNON PATRICK / LARIAT STAFF)
The 10th Annual Piano Benefit Concert performed at Irvine Valley College Saturday night. The performance included some of IVC faculty members who included works from Chopin and Scriabin. The concert celebrated the 200-year birth anniversaries of Schumann and Chopin.
The performance started off with solo performances from Susan Boettger, Amy Toscano, and Emily Hung. Boettger recently joined the IVC keyboard department as a full-time faculty.
“I’m honored to be working with a new group,” said Boettger, “of young talented pianists and faculty.”
Before intermission the first duo of the evening, Boettger and Toscano, performed Variations on a Theme by Paganini, written by Witold Lutoslawski. Emotions from the duo were easily noticed throughout the piece. Their fingers had raced rapidly on the piano, as the duo remained synchronized for their performance. As the two took a bow the audience gave them a well-deserved applause.
After the intermission Janice Park and Christine Dow performed ‘Sonate for Four Hands’ on a single piano. The duo never collided their hands or fingers. Once the duo completed the piece the two looked relieved and relaxed.
Dean Erik, Daniel Luzko, and Janice Park came together to perform ‘Because the Stars Move’ on one piano. Having six hands move across a piano could cause confusing and collision with the fingers but the trio mastered the piece perfectly. The trio was elegantly synchronized, as the piano seemed overcrowded at times.
For the last musical number of the night the organ was moved to the front of the stage and was paired along with the piano. Janice Park performed on the piano as Christine Dow played the organ. The organ gave off a deeper and stronger side of the concert. Dow stayed in deep concentration on the organ while Park showed great and strong emotion on the piano.
The ending of the final piece was strong and dramatic.