This Friday George Gershwin was playing at Ferguson Hall of the Straz Center for the Performing Arts. Or almost so.
Florida Orchestra came up with a surprise when they performed Rhapsody in Blue, one of the greatest pieces in American classical music. Instead of using a live soloist, they made the orchestra perform in tune with a 1925 solo of the famous composer himself. The novelty was made possible by a Yamaha Concert Grand Disklavier. A roll of the solo was transferred through software into the high-tech player piano. And Stefan Sanderling was coordinating between a live orchestra and a 1925 piano piece, wearing headphones. Doubtless a novel experience for the listener ofclassical music.
According to a few accounts, though, the experimentation failed to be anything beyond that and that, for the most part, the recorded and the live music did not mix very well. And it was kind of a weird experience, too, to find the piano playing on by itself in the absence of a live player.
The other famous pieces played on the night were The Camp Meeting from the Ives Third Symphony and the opening piece Webern’s Op. 1 Passacaglia.
For more of Gershwin, The Los Angeles Philharmonic will be performing Gershwin Across America this Aug.25 at the Hollywood Bowl. A variety of artists will render the pieces of the great master on the night, Nancy Wilson and BeBe Winans among them.
