HEAR IT - Humanity's Expressive Artists Reveal & Illuminate Truth

HJ Lim plays Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto N.3 in D minor Pablo Gonzalez, Conductor Barcelona Symphony and Catalonia National Orchestra February 9, 2014 HJ Lim - Rachy III - Pablo Gonzales This music is insane. The soloist appears possessed. The contrast is sharp between Maestro Gonzales' ingrained traditional interpretation, and HJ's fiery emotional/musical intensity. And in this concerto, where the piano writing dominates the orchestra, HJ can and does take charge. There are passages of great ensemble throughout this performance, though in general, HJ does her thing with Rachmaninoff, leaving Gonzales and the orchestra attempting to keep in step. I believe that Pablo truly wants to dance with HJ here, yet is not quite ready to fully match HJ's emotional presence, spontaneous creativity, tempo elasticity, and dramatic emphases. Many of the orchestral players appear lost, lacking understanding, and uncomfortable with these onstage proceedings. Interpretatively, HJ

It appears that the woman playing the piano here has completely lost her mind . . . into that of the Polish Piano God. HJ has done this several times before (see Ravel's 'La Valse', Rachmaninoff's Concertos II and III and Etude Tableaux Op. 39 #5, and others). Here again, in her uniquely powerful, personal, and expressive voice, HJ delivers a performance that in some ways redefines how the music is heard. With striking continuity, this is as spontaneously dramatic of a rendition as I have ever heard. My personal view is that HJ uses her surpassing and surpassingly natural technique to emotionally go inside the music. She then uses that awareness and presence as her primary guide for interpretation - absolutely stunning. This process, HJ's method, is not possible without supreme musical mastery. No artist would even think to set themselves up for such continuous in-the-moment emotional reactions unless EVERY demand on the performer was so much a part their mind a

University of Arizona Faculty Recital "The Magic of Mendelssohn" September 7, 2016 Tucson, Arizona It has been far too hot for way too long in this Northern Sonora Desert town, and too dry of the soul-feeding, endlessly nuanced emotional sustenance a live concert of great chamber music can provide. Well, this is the time to rejoice, as University of Arizona students and teachers are back. Autumn's relief has finally arrived! Last night, September 7th, a coterie of UA music students and spiritually-dehydrated Old Pueblo denizens rushed bravely through the dying remnants of Hurricane Newton, to hear the University of Arizona, Fred Fox School of Music Violin and Piano Faculty Duo of Lauren Roth and John Milbauer, perform Beethoven and Vaughn Williams. Cellist Marybeth Brown-Palmbeck later joined them for the ever-invigorating and deservedly revered war horse, Mendelssohn's Piano Trio #1, Op. 49. As Holsclaw Hall's very modest seating capacity of 204 qu