"The Concert"

[ayahav]

yesterday I went to see the Nederlands Nationaal Ballet (Dutch National Ballet). They did a Balanchine ballet to the Tchaikovsky string serenade, and then a Martha Graham Ballet: "Acts Of Light". In the end they performed a ballet by Jeremy Robbins entitled "The Concert". The ballet has an orchestra in the pit, and a piano on stage, played by a real pianist. The music is all Chopin, different selections from all of his repertoire. The ballet itself is choreographed in a way that uses the piano as a prop, and is also hilarious (i thought). I would suggest going to watch it..... it's worth the effort.
Amit

[tosca1]

Excellent, but it is not possible for me to see this performance.

Even if our primary love is the piano, I believe that we should experience the other musical genres as well.  By seeing opera, ballet and going to concerts and recitals were are developing our musical sensibility and taste which can enrich our insights and stimulate our imagination in the realm of piano music.  

A pianist friend commented on the connection between the dramatic intensity of the Mozart K488 piano concerto slow movement and Mozart's operatic style. Of course you need not see
or listen to Mozart's operas to play this movement but if you have, then your musical response to this wonderful music will be all the richer.  

The connections and parallels between the visual and the musical arts can be observed on a basic level with the French Impressionist School  and the piano music of Debussy and Ravel.


On a more subtle level in opera and ballet we can observe the employment of design, colour and form to express or heighten the musical language.


In these productions we see the creative mind at work and responding to the musical impulse. Surely  it is our own creativity and insightful interpretation that can bring our pianism alive.

Robert.

[Colette]

Yes, I agree with Robert. I think a "complete" musician sees all the arts---music, dance, literature, science, philosophy etc.---as interconnected; an active embrace of other art forms can only enhance an understanding of the complex craft of the piano.
There are so many fascinating conjuntions between art and music, science and music...the list is endless...
When I go to museums and do a little research on the artists, there is frequently a correlation with music in some way; so many artists (painters, visual artists) were/are influenced by classical music that it's staggering. And, composers in turn, were/are influenced by them. Impressionist paintings reflect the music of Debussy and Ravel, the serial music of Philip Glass is performed with the amazing visual art of Robert Wilson...
I was wondering what other interests the people on this forum have. What do u all enjoy besides the piano?

[frederic]

I quite like table tennis

[amee]

I like basketball and shopping with friends  

[amee]

I haven't been to a ballet for as long as I can remember...last time I tried to go with my friend to Swan Lake but all the tickets were sold out.  However I think there's a Nutcracker ballet next month and I want to see that.  The only opera I've seen is Cosi Fan Tutti.