This is an odd business, that of a concert performer.
There is a persistent and understandable “gravitas” put upon us by promoters, agents, presenters, audiences and we, ourselves, to engage by way of profundity, displays of virtuosic pyrotechnics, persona and ticket sales.
While all the aforementioned are very important and, in fact, absolutely essential - they are tools which aid in the promotion of a moment in time wherein we gather to exchange stories (some personal and some corporate), this exchange occurring between listener and performer, performer and music, listener and music.
And all of this interaction is completely wordless yet communally felt and personally resonant in the reminder that we are all interconnected.
The component missing from many performance experiences is, oddly enough, that component hidden, as it were, in plain sight for one plays the piano, violin or some other instrument or one might attend a theatrical play in London’s West End.
The element of play or playfulness can be completely absent from many of the piano recitals I have attended or those heard online or in recordings, often with one or two “light” pieces forced into the “cleanup” spot reserved for encores...but even here the default choice seems invariably to be in favour of more display.
Lecuona is mostly remembered for his famous “Malaguena” but this crowd pleasing mazurka never fails to disappoint nor is it ever dismissed as trite by audiences.
A glissando, the quick running of a finger over adjacent keys in one direction, is simple enough but that difficulty is magnified significantly when two fingers are employed creating a precise distance between the two which must be maintained throughout the execution of the glissandi up and down the keys and this is where difficulties begin.
In truth, this is a true technical display that does impress but it is clothed in great charm, elegance and a false simplicity. Can’t anyone run their fingers over the keys?
Prats, one of my favourites, plays here -- and by that I mean he has fun and so the audience does too as if treated at the end of a filling meal with tiramisu or, more appropriate, “isle flotant” which is such a fantastic dessert that looks quite simple when placed before you...but is, in fact, ridiculously difficult to make; the difficulty known only to cook while only pleasure is experienced by the eater.
Perhaps if concerts were served less of heavy sonic meals and more seasoned with a sense of play, everyone would return home with a lighter heart, greater sense of personal wonder and a head that hits the pillow lighter in weight from problems en route to solution.
Listen to Mazurka Glissando
... on Spotify.
... on Apple Music.
... on Amazon Music.
... on Deezer.
... on YouTube Music.
... on Pandora.