Concert Report Assignment: An Afternoon of Debussy

by: Matthew Handy

MUSI 1001a SN: 100820716 Prof: John Higney Date: April 3, 2013

Performer/Instrumentation

At the concert I attended, the performer was Chad Heltzel, a teacher, soloist, conductor and collaborator. He teaches at the McGill Conservatory, and received his doctorate at the University of Montreal. Heltzel played a Weber grand piano that was built in New York City in 1883. According to the concert programme, it is a very similar type of piano that would have been played by composers such as Liszt, Ravel and Debussy. Heltzel was a very animated player, and it was quite apparent that he truly enjoyed the music he was playing. He began the concert by explaining each piece he would play to the audience, going over certain aspects that he found particularly interesting or significant. While he played, he was lively during intense parts of pieces, and calm and reserved when a certain piece called for it. He would go for extended periods of time without even looking at his hands or the keys, instead staring upward while effortlessly continuing to play. Overall, he was a very good performer and made the experience very enjoyable. Program & Event Description The event was held at Southminster United Church (Bank/Sunnyside area) as part of a series of concerts held during Lent. It began at noon on Wednesday March 27 and lasted between 45 minutes and 1 hour. It was held in the main cathedral of the church, where sermons and other musical events would normally be held. The room was very large, typical of a church setting with pews, stained glass windows and an organ. The audience was comprised of mostly elderly individuals, although there were a few students and younger mothers in the crowd as well. This was likely due to the general church congregations makeup as well as the time of the concert (noon on a weekday). Heltzel played Debussys first book of Preludes, part of his body of work for solo piano that also includes another full book of preludes and other books of Etudes (Studies).

Historical Information & Description Debussy was a French composer born in 1862. He began studying piano at the Paris Conservatory at the age of 11. A major reason behind his later success was his association with Nadezhda von Meck, a wealthy woman he met at the conservatory who employed him as a music teacher to her children. She provided him with a multitude of important musical experiences as well as introducing him to Russian composers such as Mussorgsky, who would influence Debussys work greatly (Schrott, 2013). After finishing school and struggling somewhat as a composer, Debussy wrote and premiered Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun in 1894. The work, along with an opera completed the next year, propelled him into the international spotlight. He became so popular in France that the term Debussyme (Debussyism) was widely used by fans and critics alike. He spent the remaining years of his life immersed in French musical society, composing, performing, and writing as a critic. He died in 1918 of colon cancer, after falling into a deep depression due to World War 1 (Schrott, 2013). His preludes for solo piano are among his most famous works. Overall, the two books of preludes have some similar themes, such as: pentatonicism (the use of five-note scales), modality (the use of scales from ancient Greece and the medieval church), parallelism (the parallel movement of chords and lines), and the whole-tone scale (formed by dividing the octave into six equal intervals) (Schrott, 2013). Themes of impressionism and exoticism are also heard throughout these works. The pieces reflect different parts of nature or experiences, and are thematically based around specific imagery alluded in their titles. A specific piece that stood out during the performance was Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest (What the West Wind Has Seen). It follows a significantly softer piece, so by contrast is very

booming and extreme. There is no specific, repeated melody to speak of during the piece, rather it has many different small motifs comprised of mostly whole tone scales. Any kind of melodic exploration in the piece are short dabs and are not tuneful or singable. There is emphasis on harmony and rhythm, with great contrasts between the higher and lower registers of the piano. The piece uses tritones in many booming chords to give them more of a dissonant and eerie quality. These chords often also move in parallel motion, giving the piece some non-functional harmony as well. The rhythm is very reminiscent of the wind itself, meaning that it is unpredictable and very sudden in its changes. The dynamics in the piece are also far reaching, from very quiet to the loudest the piano can get. This piece attempts, with quite a bit of accuracy, to emulate the sounds of nature and the wind. Its texture and form are very reminiscent of the nature of the wind - volatile, erratic, and unpredictable. There are no clear-cut sections or repetitions in the form, and the texture changes from thin to dense and back again many times. The dynamics and rhythm constantly change during the song, so much so that it is hard to get comfortable while listening. It takes a very active type of listening to truly appreciate this sort of piece that does not even seem musical at times. It could take quite a keen ear to fully understand the complexity of the piece, because a casual listener may hear random smashing of the keys at some points in the piece. Regardless, it is quite virtuosic in nature, and is not a simple piece of music to play by any standard. Personal Response I was pleasantly surprised with how much I actually ended up enjoying the concert. I had not listened to much of Debussy before going to this concert, except for the quick excerpt we heard in class, as well as a piece of his that was in one of my favourite childhood movies, Milo & Otis. After listening to the performance, I promptly returned home and downloaded (by legal

means, of course) the entirety of Debussys works. His music is much different than much of the classical music that I know of, and not in a bad way. It was very mind opening to realize that I was listening to solo piano music that I actually enjoyed. I felt a little out of place in a church setting, likely due to the fact that I have not been to a church in a very long time. It could have also been the fact that I was most likely the youngest person in the audience, save for a baby (a very well-behaved baby, I might add) that a mother had brought along with her. Either way, after Id found a seat and gotten settled in, I enjoyed a concert with no annoyances or any other sort of interruption. Speaking only of the performance itself, I thought it was very well done. Heltzel is an excellent pianist and was very deserving of the standing ovation he received when he had finished playing. For me, I enjoy a concert when I know the performer is enjoying it. I believe, speaking from my own performing experience, that it is a performers duty to lead by example. If a performer is enjoying playing a piece, the audience will (most of the time) follow suit. Speaking as an audience member, there is nothing more off-putting for me than trying to watch a performer who looks like they would rather be anywhere else. Heltzel looked very comfortable and seemed to enjoy every minute he was on stage, so I did as well. Seeing the music played live gave me a much better understanding of Debussys work as well as the skill needed to play his music. Going into the concert, I did not know much about his music, but I was intrigued by listening to the odd rhythms and harmonies. Even after the concert, listening to recorded versions of the pieces are nothing near listening to them live. Seeing an actual person perform these pieces makes them much more enjoyable, and since they were composed before the era where we could take music anywhere we go, it makes sense. These

works were written to be listened to live and in person. Overall, I am very happy that I chose to attend this concert and am glad I had to opportunity to do so.

Works Cited Schrott, Allen, Claude Debussy, AllMusic, accessed April 1, 2013, http://www.allmusic.com/ artist/claude-debussy-mn0000768781