Artist's Profile: Llyr Williams, Pianist

One piece of music I have been obsessed with lately are the eight impromptus for piano by Franz Schubert. Composed in 1827-28, they sound remarkably contemporary to me. And they settle into my ear and don't go away,
A couple of weeks ago I was on a run in downtown KC and turned the corner of 12th and Central, right by the Folly Theater. I stopped to look at the upcoming concerts poster and Schubert caught my eye. Pianist Llyr Williams will be here this Friday evening playing an all Schubert program which will include the second set of impromptus! I have not heard these performed live, so it will be a real treat.
I contacted Mr.Williams via his management company (thanks Nicolas Papageorgiou) and he agreed to answer some questions via email. Also, here is a link to Patrick Neas' article in the KC Star that gives you more info about Mr. Williams. (Thanks Patrick!)

http://www.kansascity.com/entertainment/performing-arts/article195435909.html

How old were you when you started playing the piano?

Seven.

 Did you hear classical music growing up in your home?

Yes, we had music on the radio or the gramophone all the time.

What piece of music do you remember being the first to really appeal to you or touch you?

I can’t remember exactly which piece, but I listened to a lot of opera at the beginning, Wagner/Verdi. The instrumental music came later.

Can you share what will be on the program for your appearance here in Kansas City?

It will be an all-Schubert programme including an early sonata, D.575, his Moments Musicaux and second set of Impromptus. Also featured will be some of his songs transcribed for piano by Liszt.

What other pianists, current or past, inspire you?

In Schubert, particularly Radu Lupu. For Liszt I’m very fond of Jorge Bolet, but I listen to many interpretations when first learning a piece.

 Aside from making a living as a classical pianist, do you play other styles of music? If so, what?

I’m afraid not.

I have talked to musicians who tell me that they don’t listen to classical music because it’s their job to play it, and when they aren’t practicing or playing a gig, they don’t like to listen to music. Do you enjoy listening to music when you aren’t working or practicing?

Yes, I listen to all types of classical music on a daily basis. Besides, I don’t really believe these musicians who tell you they don’t like to listen...

Speaking of practicing, how much time do you spend practicing each day on average?

On a normal day an average of 5-6 hours

When you are touring, I assume you play a piano that is provided for you. If that’s true, do you generally have good experiences with these pianos, or do they vary greatly from place to place in terms of quality? Or am I wrong and do you take your own piano with you from city to city while on tour?

Coping with pianos can be one of the hazards of the profession, but they tend to be more reliable now than when I was just starting out professionally

 I write this blog of mine because I love classical music, and I am concerned that it has such a small following in American culture….I want to help people learn about it and experience how amazing it is. Do you get a sense while traveling and playing that classical music is alive and well, or are you also concerned like me?

Yes, I do get concerned; the average of the audience in most places I go tends to be older than sixty. However, classical music has always been a bit of a minority interest, I suppose.

 I apologize, but I always ask this standard question: if you had to name your top three composers, who would they be?

My top three would vary from day to day; I have many, many favourites!

 Do you have a preference for playing solo recitals versus concertos with orchestral accompaniment or small ensemble works like a piano trio?

Most of my work currently involves solo recitals – the nice thing with those is that they give me more freedom and scope to express myself. But I do also enjoy concertos,  and chamber music as well.

Do you like coffee?

Yes!

Do you drink beer? If so, any favorites?

Beer is one thing that doesn’t interest me. You could put some in front of me and I wouldn’t drink it! Red wine appeals a lot more….

 Do you drink scotch or bourbon? Any favorites?

I prefer Bailey’s…

What about barbecue...Kansas City is famous for its BBQ…any plans to try some while you are here?

I always enjoy trying out the local cuisine wherever I go, so I must have a go at Kansas City BBQ!

Lastly, you may be aware that the Kansas City Symphony is a top level orchestra here in the US and now plays in a world class Hall. Have you played here in KC before? If not, please come back and collaborate with the KC Symphony.

I have certainly heard of the Kansas City Symphony. If they invite me to play a concerto then I’d be delighted to come back!

Kansas City Symphony: Reflections 1.14.18

The first time I ever heard the Symphony no.5 by Jean Sibelius was at a live performance in Chicago. Orchestra Hall. The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Leonard Bernstein conducting. September 20, 1987. That was the last time I saw it performed live until this afternoon's performance of the Kansas City Symphony. I went with my mom, who was also with me 31 years ago in Chicago when we saw Leonard Bernstein. My dad was also there in 1987, and I remember the three of us exchanging a quick glance during the Finale that afternoon when the horns began their magnificent "swan song" as it was called by Sibelius himself. This glance confirmed that something special was happening. This was music at its best...transcending the moment and reaching deep within us. That happened again to us today, minus my dad, who passed away in 2006. But I know he was with us in spirit.
As usual, our concert experience started about an hour before the concert with a brisk walk across the street to Los Tules for some great food and THE best margarita in town. Period.
We settled into our seats behind the orchestra in the choir loft for the concert. I love this perspective. The first piece on the program was Esa-Pekka Salonen's LA Variations, a high intensity work that gives every section of the orchestra a chance to shine. This is a very dynamic, rhythmic and dense work that the musicians absolutely nailed. I saw one of the percussionists playing the marimba with a bass bow....kind of an homage to Jimmy Page using a violin bow on his Gibson Les Paul on the song Dazed and Confused. OR so it seemed. This work has so much energy and great vibe to it and I loved watching Maestro Stern tie it all together with his hands, baton, eyes, facial expressions and body language.
As the musicians and stagehands began to set up for the next piece, Maestro Stern grabbed a microphone and started talking to the audience...something he does so very well. He has a very natural and comfortable wit that is a real joy to experience. Its time to begin subscribing to next year's concert series...don't wait...act now!
Speaking of virtuosity, Noah Geller, principal violinist, and Christine Grossman, principal violist, both of the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra, were the soloists for Mozart's Sinfonia concertante in E-flat Major. Mozart in Helzberg Hall is amazing. This building was made for Mozart. Two soloists and a small back up band. Just stay in your lane and play mezzo-forte AT MOST and everything will be OK. If anyone goes beyond that, it won't work. And one could see Maestro Stern doing everything he could to keep the balance just right...to keep the orchestra behind the soloists...to keep the sound  bubble from elongating or popping. There is a great recording of Dave Brubeck and his quartet from 1953 playing For All We Know, a wonderful song made most famous by Nat King Cole. They play in time and in tune together. But by the final chorus Brubeck starts to break the bubble....he is soloing and pushing past the edge. This is where the music is. They don't tumble over the cliff, but they are close. This is Mozart too. If the notes are there, and the time is there...its wonderful because, well, its Mozart. But it may not be music. Today it was music because Geller and Grossman, Stern, and their colleagues stepped to the edge and stayed there, right where Dave Brubeck and Paul Desmond did. Their technique is top shelf. Kansas City, we have world class musicians here!!! This was Mozart the way it needs to be played and heard. Bravo. And the encore further highlighted their technical and musical mastery. I could not hear their announcement, but I believe it was a theme and variation of a Handel theme.
And now back to Sibelius. I was here last year when KCS played his Symphony no. 2. This may be the most popular of all his symphonies. It was a brilliant performance that I shared with my youngest son Ethan. I wrote about it here too. I balled like a baby during the climactic finale. (I cry a lot when I hear music like this. I cried in Chicago in 1987 and I cried today.) I can't fathom that a human being can sit down at a piano and write this stuff. Time stops. My breath is pulled out of my body. And out come tears. I am not sad. I don't know why it happens or what it means. and at this point in my life, I don't care. But I crave it because it means I am at the edge.
The Kansas City Symphony is not a safe proposition. They make real music. They push you to the edge, every time. Any one of a hundred orchestras can play the notes on the page...can dress in concert black and look legit. Not here. This conductor and these musicians are not content doing that. They are here to harvest your emotions and your very soul. What's the point otherwise?

L' Ascension

French composer Olivier Messiaen (1908-1922) wrote music that I can't listen too. Dissonant...confusing...abstract. Experts will say he is a genius, that this music that goes over my head is "beautiful art." I have tried to delve into much of it, only to be repulsed by it. I like to think I have a very open mind. But I kept trying and failing to understand...to embrace his work. Then I found L' Ascension for Organ  Turns out he wrote some music that I do like. I happened upon L'Ascension for Organ (1932-33) about a year ago. I keep coming back to it on a regular basis, never tiring of it. It moves me deeply. Messiaen IS a great composer.
This work has four movements. The first can best be described as "phrase...phrase...phrase...minor key, minor key, minor key, mysterious idea, mysterious idea.....then major powerchord. Repeat. It leaves me breathless.
If you want to really learn more than you can ever understand about any music, Google "whatever piece you are interested in, PDF and Analysis...so in this case...L'Ascension, PDF, Analysis." Somewhere out there, a student has written a dissertation about it that takes a deep dive into explaining everything about it musically. Robert Edwin Fort Jr. did so in 1956 for L' Ascension. 128 pages that analyze every aspect of this work, every chord, every phrase etc.....way more than I can understand or appreciate. But Mr. Fort and I are on the same page....we love this music.
Fort states, "Messiaen's music generally has a feeling of almost total monotony, but this is accompanied by much activity within the total feeling." He follows this up by stating, "Because of it's special place and purpose, L' Ascension is one of the least formidable of Messiaen's compositions. Although it is not the most typical of Messiaen's work, it provides the newcomer a pleasant approach that is colorful, figurative, evocative, easily accepted, and readily understood."  Amen. I agree.
First movement, lots of major powerchords a la Pete Townshend or Jimmy Page. Second movement, bat shit noodling all over the place. Third movement, transcendental chromaticism (May not be a word). Fourth movement, the best chord to end any piece in history. As Fort states, "The final chord comes as the culmination of the rising movement in melody and accompaniment. It results in a feeling of relaxed tension somewhat like the similar chord in measure no. 2. However, it is held for thirteen beats and is the final chord of the movement and the suite. The length of it coupled with the fact that there is no diminishing of volume (a crescendo is called for in the orchestration) soon imparts a somewhat active feeling to it. This is further enhanced by the inversion. The final effect then is one of incompletion of suspension which is obviously what the composer had in mind." It is very cool.
Here is a nice version of L' Ascension for Organ:

And here is the orchestrated version:

I like both, but the organ version is my favorite. Enjoy!