Do you notice how sometimes you set out in one direction toward a location only to end up headed in another direction and landing at another place which is even better than the first?
On Saturday, November 16 as a birthday gift from my partner, we set out to hear, see, and talk to one of my favorite living pianists (and concert arranger, transcriber, and teacher), Vyacheslav (Slava) Gryaznov (pictured above during his pre-concert comments; published by Schott Music). My expectations were fulfilled - and more.
That's because the universe gave me TWO incredible, completely unexpected gifts, one during the concert and one as I was leaving the auditorium.
THE SECOND GIFT
The second unexpected gift came as I was leaving the auditorium to join the line of admirers for Gryaznov's "meet-and-greet" held in the foyer. I happened to look down to my left and there sitting in the aisle seat, patiently waiting with a friend for the crowd to pass by, was ..
Madame Ruth Slenczynska!
At the time I had known that this amazing pianist was in the audience because the host had announced her presence just before introducing Gryaznov. The host told the audience that Madame was the last living student of Rachmaninoff himself, but surprisingly, I heard no one gasp.
I gasped because I knew of her sterling performance history and the significance of her presence. Clearly she would enjoy hearing a performance of three of Rachmaninoff's most beloved compositions (the First and Second Piano Concertos) and Rhapsody on a Theme by Paginini (my favorite composition of all time).
I immediately looked behind me, but in a full audience of about 600 it would be impossible to identify Madame from our third row seats.
My former piano teacher two years ago was Robert Estrin. He told me about Madame Ruth and spoke glowingly about her beautiful pianism and professional longevity. He said that she was the last living student of Rachmaninoff and had written a book for the piano student, "Music at Your Fingertips". He also told me about her most recent CD, "My Life in Music", which she had recorded at age 97 in 2022 (cover pictured below). Shortly thereafter I read her book and purchased her CD. "Daisies" by Rachmaninoff is my favorite piece on the CD, and I hope someday to learn to play it as beautifully as she does.
Madame had also been one of Estrin's piano teachers and apparently, a very significant one to him, perhaps when he was a student long ago at the Manhattan Conservatory of Music?
As I passed Madame on my way out, I recognized her from the picture on the front of her CD and from various YouTube videos (one an interview conducted two years ago at her age of 98).
I stopped in my tracks, leaned down, and twice asked if she was Madame Slenczynska or Madame Ruth? I wanted to tell her how much I loved her last CD and that one of her appreciative piano students and my former teacher, had greatly appreciated and loved her.
Madame looked at me for a few seconds, but sadly, she seemed confused and had no response, leading me to think for a second that I might be mistaken as to who she was. However, I was not wrong.
At her age of 100 she appeared quite frail and I suspect did not hear well, or perhaps did not understand what I was saying, especially because I mask in closed indoor venues such as this one. Nonetheless, I smiled to myself and hopefully smiled through my eyes, nodded to her and to her friend or caregiver, stood up, and continued down the aisle and into the foyer.
Later than night as I was cozy in bed and about to fall asleep, a thought came to me:
Some musical goddess had brought an incredible gift to me, not only to see Madame Ruth in person, but to make an indirect connection thereby to my favorite composer Rachmaninoff!
THE FIRST GIFT
I had had the earlier pleasure of hearing Gryaznov play (described below), and then handing him my second volume of poetry that contains the poem I wrote when I first discovered him (set forth below).
As a personality, he is gracious, informal, and friendly. He has not one whiff of arrogance or aloofness that one might expect due to his level of international fame and expertise as a concert pianist.
Not only that, but when anyone wanted to step behind the table where he stood to chat and sign autographs, he amiably put his arm around their waist and permitted the same in return during the photograph.
It was a special pleasure for me to hand him my poetry book and then ask for his autograph.
Of particular note regarding the earlier performance was the surprise that Grayznov employed a relatively new app, one that he designed and produced, called G-Phil. It is a digitized orchestral accompaniment to the pieces he would play.
I had never heard of it nor understood what to expect by the sponsoring Steinway Society of Northern California's program that I received in advance. I'm glad we attended the pre-concert discussion wherein he described in summary how the app works.
Using this app, Gryaznov records various musical instrumental parts of a concerto or piece one by one, then melds them together in one whole. He uses a type of breathalizer to blow in and modulate the dynamic range of the instruments as the piece progresses. If the orchestra is to start playing first, he presses a foot pedal. At any time he can join in. To stop the orchestra when time for a piano solo, he presses the pedal again. At the conclusion of the solo, he presses the foot pedal once more to start the orchestra.
How he manages to manage this mechanical process - and then play to exquisite perfection, I don't know. It's all I can do as an amateur pianist to get the notes right when I play a short piece by myself (LOL). This man is clearly a genius.
He told us that he is now working on a way to have AI technology create a piece whereby the program "reads" the score and automatically starts and stops the orchestral parts.
Below you can hear part of the First and Second Piano Concertos (in order) wherein the G-Phil orchestra plays. Videos are used here by his explicit permission given to the audience (also to take photos during his concert and meet-and-greet), not for commercial purposes but for illustration and educational purposes only.
Of course, neither of these videos present an accurate sound representation when heard on a cell phone or computer.
You may hear a perhaps more accurate sound representation on YouTube recordings which are easily found by search for his name plus G-Phil. They include a fascinating interlaced comparison of his G-Phil performance vs. an actual orchestral performance. Other performances using the G-Phil orchestra include this one, this one, and this one.
Another amazing fact is that for now Gryaznov gives away for free any piece that he has added to his digitized G-Phil library which is growing day by day. Such pieces seem incredibly useful for concert pianists who are practicing at home for an upcoming orchestral performance.
My overall impression of the music itself? Interesting, but no cigar.
I would much rather have heard Gryaznov play by himself. What had initially captivated me a few years ago was his transcription and exquisitely sensitive solo interpretation of Borodin's Noctturno for String Quartet No. 2.
On this night, the bass notes of the digitized orchestra seemed overly loud, however this effect could have been due to the hall acoustics. Sometimes the piano accompaniment disappeared into loud orchestral parts. I much preferred when he played his solo parts.
One professional musical friend thought in the video clips posted herein that the music sounded better than expected (just as did another audience member from a different concert). He found the balance between the piano and orchestra was sometimes muddy and unclear and, like me, he opined that they even sometimes covered up one another. He thought that occasionally the piano and orchestra were not playing together "by a hair".
Another professional musical friend reviewed the video clips. He felt that "in this tiny sample, it’s as if the orchestra is reacting or responding to the piano part, rather than anticipating or leading, or the two interacting in the way they would typically do. (It sounded) kind of like a one-sided conversation, rather than the different voices influencing each other."
IN SUM
I am still overwhelmed thinking about the two gifts I received at the concert. As with a very few other gobsmacking gifts in my life, they have all been unexpected and those have meant the most. I will remember them forever and with enormous gratitude.
I am now connected to Rachmaninoff, Gryaznov, and Slenczynska!
***
STREAMING (From Poetic Musings on pianos, music & life - Vol II)
I was outside in my garden on a summer day
when San Francisco fog comes and goes
(mostly comes late in the day),
with a gentle breeze as I stood midst wafting scents
of roses, jasmine, and four lavender plants,
gently swaying in time to...music that I heard!
Coming through my open window
where the song had moved on
from what I had listened to several times that day
(Borodin’s Notturno No. 2 for String Quartet
as transcribed for piano by V. Gryaznov),*
music now new to my senses:
M. Ravel’s “Daphnis et Chloé Suite No. 2”
for not one, but pianos two!
The notes wrapped me ’round and did embrace
and kiss my face and gently take my hand
as I stood transfixed in an unbelievable land
of streaming notes and rumbling ocean waves
of deepest sound that greeted me.
As I stood, my magic carpet lifted off the sand
into blue skies with puffy clouds
that did surround me then.
I disappeared in and out, with spiraling turns
and twists of pure delight in my flight.
I cannot say how long I spent flying that day,
standing there, allowing this music to urge me on
and eventually takes its place upon
the wisps of endless time in my mind.
_______
*The score transcribed for two pianos from Ravel’s concerto,
by one of my favorite pianists, Vyacheslav Gryaznov,
a Russian classical pianist, recording artist, transcriber,
composer, and assistant professor of piano.
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