Two zingers last week at Meany Theater

Two zingers last week at Meany Theater

by Rod Parke - SGN A&E Writer SIMON TRPCESKI APRIL 1 MEANY THEATER M Concertgoers who have not ventured to the UW campus and Meany Theater have missed my favorite venue in the Seattle area. They also missed two knockout performances this past week. First was a recital by Simon (see-MOAN) Trpceski (terp-ches-ki) from Macedonia. At 29, he has already established himself as one of the finest pianists of the period. To say his performance here was masterful would be understatement. Trpceski's manner was super-serious from the beginning. Already balding and wearing a loose-fitting black suit, he sat down at the piano and waited. For what? It seemed an internal something he was waiting for. Several times, both at this beginning and between numbers, he would droop his arms at his side, as though seeking complete muscle relaxation. Then, the minute his fingers reached the keys, this limpness would pop into sharp precision and total control of whatever the music required. Debussy's 'Children's Corner' suite had all the charm, clarity, and French wit one could ask for. Tryceski paused unusually long between each of the six gems, drooping his arms and slouching his upper body, before snapping back into complete physical attention to the keyboard. His musicality illuminated every second. More than just another brilliant piano virtuoso, he communicated his conceptual grasp of the music with utter clarity and effectiveness. The lyrical 'Tales of an Old Grandmother' by Prokofiev were understated and lovely and served as a nice pallet-cleanser before the explosion to follow. Prokofiev's "Toccata in D Minor, Op. 11" was an astounding burst of perfectly focused energy and joy from the first note. So complete was Trpceski's technical command of this showstopper that we soon got past the virtuosity and could just enjoy the way he made it all into a dance of ecstasy. What a way to end the first half! A selection of five pieces by Rachmaninoff (including the famous "Prelude is C-sharp Minor, Op. 3, No. 2) followed the intermission. They were certainly enjoyable and done to perfection, but I couldn't wait for the final Prokofiev of the evening: the 'Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, Op. 83.' The intensity of this work, incorporating emotions from the horror of WWII, made for the perfect display of the pianist's power, both as a technician and as a musician of emotional eloquence. This performance will not soon be forgotten. BLACK GRACE APRIL 4 MEANY THEATER Like finding your favorite fruit at its perfect peak of ripeness, discovering an artist whose brilliance knocks you out with its utterly fresh energy and imagination is something to celebrate. Such was the effect of this New Zealand group, founded and directed by Neil Ieremia. The humor, athleticism, and precision of Black Grace were impressive enough, but the utter newness of most of what we saw was even more so. Contrary to what you might expect from its name, Black Grace is not even primarily black in the American sense. The music, dance, and perhaps even its newness are indeed influenced by native New Zealand and Samoan traditions, but the six male dancers were a very mixed bunch. (Four guest female dancers appeared in two of the dances.) All were young, attractive, and extremely athletic. In all this originality, there was also much variety, both in music and in dance. There was beauty. One work ended with the four men locking their nearly naked bodies together in such a way that they could bend backwards at knee level, with the group seeming to open up like a large flower to the rain. It was a moment of such beauty that it left one stunned and in awe. Two most unusual things: One dance began with the six men standing in a triangular formation, facing the audience, not dancing at first but singing! The choral blend and beauty of their singing was so perfect that I thought at first that they much be lipsynching to a recording. But as they began to dance, the nature of the singing changed in such a way that one could see for sure than the dancers were indeed the singers. Astounding! A second novelty of great humor: The six men stood near the back wall of the stage, each with his hands at mouth level, as though holding a harmonica. As a woman dancer in a bright red dress moved across the stage in front of them, they began blowing up large balloons! They were balloons, not condoms, but the symbolism of their interest in the woman was utterly hilarious, especially when they each released the balloons, which of course flew up into the air. They then pulled a second balloon from their pockets. As each one reached the point of exploding, the dancer under that balloon fell as dead to the floor. Only after the explosions/deaths were they freed to begin dancing. The last number, danced to Bach's Third Brandenburg (third movement), was the only clearly derivative work in the program. Here it appeared was Ieremia's altogether successful attempt to create a work a la Mark Morris. Steps were original, but the impulse was clearly to do what Morris does best, namely create in physical movement an almost literal essence of the music. The movements were in perfect sync with the beat, and the gestures often corresponded to the feeling of the music. Shades of Mark Morris' great setting of the music of George Frederick Handel! Throughout the program the precision of the dancers in articulating very sharp, sudden moves was awesome. This amazing unison revealed the highest level of discipline I have ever seen in a dance group. If we're lucky enough to see Black Grace at Meany again, don't miss it! Reviewer Rod Parke can be reached at rod@sgn.org