Countdown to Planyavsky at MIT (20 days)

A personal anecdote about Peter Planyavsky the Improviser:

In late February, 2008, Plany made a quick and somewhat secretive trip to Boston. He was not playing any concerts; he was here only to work on his Heiller biography which he was writing at the time. He emailed to me and asked if I wanted to get a cup of coffee. I offered to take him to see the important 1893 Woodberry & Harris organ in Charlestown.

We met at First Lutheran in Boston, where he wanted to see the stunningly beautiful Richards, Fowkes & Co. organ for the first time. (And I met the church's brilliant organist, Balint Karosi, for the first time.)

The three of us exchanged brief pleasantries, Plany sat down at the organ, and he improvised at length in the North German Baroque style. But REALLY in the style. He tried out all the stops, naturally, and improvised in a myriad of Baroque forms, all authentically. He made commentary along the way about the organ, showing his knowledge and understanding of organbuilding, as well.

Plany and I left and headed for the Orange Line, which took us to the organ in Charlestown. The whole ride I had his beautiful sounds in my ear and marveled as how his improvising could be so "correct" yet also musical, fresh, organic, personal. Nothing "boring" or "academic" about the playing at all.

We arrive in Charlestown, he sits down at this 1893 organ, and now he's improvising in the Victorian style. REALLY in the style. He's all over the organ's three keyboards in grand fashion. I couldn't get over it. 45 minutes before he was a contemporary of Buxtehude; now suddenly he was a chum of Parry! (Except that Parry probably never played on two manuals with one hand at the same time.)

I just couldn't get over how quickly and easily he could "change the channel" and improvise, both effortlessly and AUTHENTICALLY, in two utterly different sound-worlds. It would hard to say which he did better. He is as gifted as he is down-to-earth – one of the true greats that I have ever met.

Planyavsky will end his MIT concert on January 27th with a grand improvisation. Suffice it to say that I'm looking forward to it!

CHOPIN

Today marks the 200th birthday who, for most of my life, has been my ultimate favorite composer.

It can be said that some Brahms sounds like Schumann or Beethoven, or that some Bach sounds like Pachelbel or Buxtehude. Whom does Chopin sound like? He must certainly have been the most original composer in the history of Western music.

I'm happy to announce that in September and October of this year, I will play six Chopin recitals at First Church (formerly First & Second Church) in Boston's historic Back Bay. It will be a labor of love.