Jorge Federico Osorio at Hertz Hall, November 2, 2014

CalPerformances presents Jorge Federico Osorio
2014-11-02
Hertz Hall
U.C. Berkeley, Bancroft Way at College Ave, Berkeley, CA
3:00 PM, Sunday, November 2, 2014

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Works by Bach, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Albeniz, Castro, & Mussorgsky

[3:03 PM lights down]

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750), arr. Ferruccio Busoni (1866–1924): Nun Komm’ der Heiden Heiland, BWV 659

1. [3:04 PM] (opus)

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750), arr. Walter Rummel (1887–1953): Ertödt’ uns durch dein’ Güte! (Mortify Us Through Thy Goodness), from Cantata No. 22, Jesus nahm zu Sich die Zwölfe (Jesus Called to Himself the Twelve), BWV 22 (1723; arr. 1922)

1. [3:08 PM] (opus)

Franz Schubert (1797–1828): Piano Sonata in in B-flat major, D. 960 (1828)

1. [3:12 PM] Molto moderato
2. [3:30 PM] Andante sostenuto
3. [3:40 PM] Scherzo: Allegro vivace con delicatezza — Trio
4. [3:44 PM] Allegro, ma non troppo
   [set ends 3:52 PM]

[4:07 PM lights down]

Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893): “June: Barcarolle,” from The Seasons, Op. 37a (1875–1876)

1. [4:08 PM] (opus)

Isaac Albéniz (1860–1909): Mallorca: Barcarola in F-sharp major (1891)

1. [4:13 PM] (opus)

Ricardo Castro Herrera (1864–1907): Barcarola No. 2, Op. 30 (1907)

1. [4:18 PM] (opus)
   [pause for applause at 4:21 PM]

Modest Mussorgsky (1839–1881): Pictures at an Exhibition (1874)

1. [4:22 PM] Promenade
2. [4:23 PM] The Gnome
3. [4:25 PM] Interlude — Promenade
4. [4:26 PM] The Old Castle
5. [4:30 PM] Interlude — Promenade
6. [4:31 PM] Tuileries (Dispute of the Children After Play)
7. [4:32 PM] Bydlo (the Ox-Wagon)
8. [4:34 PM] Interlude — Promenade
9. [4:35 PM] The Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks
10. [4:36 PM] Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuÿle
11. [4:38 PM] Interlude — Promenade
12. [4:39 PM] The Market at Limoges
13. [4:41 PM] Catacombs (Sepulchrum Romanum)
14. [4:42 PM] Con Mortuis in Lingua Mortua (With the Dead in a Dead Language)
15. [4:45 PM] The Hut on Fowl’s Legs
16. [4:48 PM] The Great Gate of Kiev
    [set ends 4:52 PM]

Enrique Costanzo Granados y Campiña (1867-1916): Spanish Dance No. 4 (?or 5?) from 12 Danzas Españolas, (1890)

1. [4:54 PM] (opus)
   [show ends 4:58; applause for another minute or so, then off at 4:59 PM]

• Jorge Federico Osorio: piano.

Friggin' Andronoter/Simplenote handshake issue (and my carelessness in failing to halt until I'd sorted things out properly) caused me to lose my original notes on this gig… lessee what I can recreate at a few day's distance…

I really enjoyed this show; Jorge Federico Osorio is a fine performer, with an excellent touch and astounding mnemonic skill (playing the entire show from memory), and I'd gladly pay to hear him again in the future.

The opening Bach works served as excellent orderves or appetizers to the first main course, Schubert's magnificent sonata, and I swear I heard echoes of those works in the 'coma-inducing' (TC's appellation, not mine) opening movements of the Schubert. Neither the program notes nor any resources that I turn up online mention this connection, so the natural conclusion is that it was an aural hallucination of my own invention. I dunno. At the time, it seemed obvious. Maybe I'll have to find some better analysis of the Schubert piece that talks about the themes of those movements and Schubert's influences in creating this masterpiece. The piano (and JFP!) certainly got a good workout during the closing scherzo and allegro movements; this was the pinnacle of today's performance for me.

Following a brief break, the second set opened with a trio of short baccaroles. Although they were pleasant and light, it's unclear to me whether these were selected for particular programmatic reasons (perhaps paintings of Venetian boatmen are common in the (russian art museum that stimulated MM?), thus connecting these pieces to the Mussorgsky (as would be implied by parallel construction in comparison to the first set) or perhaps as simple filler, as short favorites selected by JFO. In any case, all three were cheerful, but not particularly memorable to me.

Pictures at an Exhibition on the other hand, had to do battle in my attention with half-remembered recollections of other interpretations of this work, namely, Ravel's orchestration, Tomita's electronic adaptation, and Yamashita's audaciously conceived version for solo classical guitar. So I hear the piece in real time, accompanied by ghostly snatches of alternative iterations that flit in and out of my attention. This is interesting because it's like jazz, or like listening to the Grateful Dead: watching the tailor sew a new suit on the same old stack of bones can be a kick! I would have liked having a little more light (the better to try and keep track of our position in the program), but the dark made it easier to focus on the performance, so that's an acceptable trade-off! Given the pounding he delivered to the piano over the course of Pictures, it was shocking to see that JFO didn't even break a sweat. Cool as a cucumber, that cat! I'd definitely put him back on my calendar in the future if the program looked tempting enough…

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2014 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2014 event list! ☸ On to the next event! ☸