Search - Haskell Small, Modeste Mussorgorsky :: Renoir's Feast - Pictures At An Exhibition

Feast Your Ears: New Music for Piano

James Farmingdale | New York, NY USA | 01/29/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Commissioned by Washington, DC's Phillips Collection to commemorate its reacquisition of Pierre-Auguste Renoir's Luncheon of the Boating Party, Haskell Small has interpreted the painting with a programmatic piano work that wisely steers clear of obvious choices. While Renoir's Feast contains elements of French Impressionism, Small's rich harmonic language is equally informed by twentieth century post-tonality. Constructing a narrative around the social gathering depicted in Renoir's scenario, Small has written distinctive piano sketches that correspond to each character, linking the sketches with a recurring "river" theme.



A noteworthy feature of Renoir's painting is that it freezes a moment of bustling social activity. Thus, Small's linear interpretative approach is an admittedly curious one; nevertheless, he imbues his harmonically dense work with sufficient emotional resonance. For example, the sketches that depict Renoir and his future wife Aline Charigot both evoke Stephen Foster, though filtered through a lens of Ivesian dissonance.



A concert pianist of renown, Small supplements his own performance of Renoir's Feast with a rendition of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, making clear the influence of Exhibition's promenade structure on Small's composition. He performs both pieces with a light and dexterous touch. One could nitpick that he lacks an aggressive edge, but that is not Small's style. The excellent performance and sound of Renoir's Feast do full justice to a substantial and impressive addition the piano repertoire.



For Sequenza21 - Brad Glanden"