NMSU Music Department’s Dr. Laura Spitzer gave her final show before retirement with Dr. Thomas Otten in a recital dedicated to French composer and pianist, Maurice Ravel, on March 5 at Atkinson Recital Hall.
Otten traveled from Portland, Oregon to play as a pianist and baritone singer with Spitzer, a fellow pianist. Their setlist included Ravel’s classics to celebrate his 150th birthday.
To begin the celebration, the duo chose one of several pieces from Ma mètr l’oye (Mother Goose). They began with Pavane de la belle au bois dormant (Pavane of the Sleeping Beauty). With this duet, the musicians set the tone for the journey and mental imagery Ravel’s work creates. Although less than two minutes long, the delicateness of each note in the song was so touching and tender it brought a sense of calm to the audience. The two pianos seemed to blend into one another.
Then, they played the three-part Don Quichotte à Dulcinée (Don Quixote to Dulcinea) with Otten singing baritone and Spitzer as the accompanying pianist. These songs come from the perspective of Don Quichotte at three different points in his life. Otten and Spitzer worked together to brilliantly convey the story in each.
First, in Chanson romanesque (Romanesque Song), Don Quichotte makes lavish promises to his beloved, and Otten sweetly projected the sound of love to the audience. Don Quichotte’s devotion was abundantly clear in this piece through Otten’s exaggerated and thoughtful performance of Don’s words to his lady.
Then in Chanson épique (Epic Song), Otten continued to lay Don Quichotte’s soul bare while the latter compared and praised his lady for her similarities to the Madonna. Despite it being the least interesting of the trio, Otten and Spitzer created an understandable story together.
For the final song, Chanson à boire (Drinking Song), Otten portrayed a completely different version of Don Quichotte than what audiences had seen before. Now, Don Quichotte was telling his beloved that the only time he’s truly happy is when he is drunk. Otten’s physicality of a stumbling man and Spitzer’s erratic accompaniment created an entertaining and humorous piece that communicated Ravel’s meaning beyond the difference in languages.
Listening to Laideronnette, impératrice des pagodes (Little Ugly Girl, Empress of the Pagodas) from (Mother Goose) was like catching an auditory glimpse into a fantasy world. In the story, the song is played by tiny porcelain people on an island with miniature instruments made of seashells. It features many high and quick notes that make the audience feel like they’re being transported from their seat into another world. It was the most lighthearted of the pieces due to its flowing quality and bouncing melody. Additionally, it piqued attention because of its similarity to the soundtrack from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Otten performed the Concerto pour la main gauche (Concerto for the Left Hand) which was an incredible demonstration of skill and focus. Otten played it with only his left hand, with an exception. Otten had to use his right hand to glide across the keys on the piano due to an injury sustained on his left pinky, but Concerto for the Left Hand remained the most visually captivating of all the songs. It began very low, but slowly, with Spitzer’s quiet accompaniment, grew in power and energy.
Les entretiens de la belle et de la bête (Conversation of Beauty and the Beast) from (Mother Goose) is a conversation between Beauty and the Beast. Spitzer and Otten gave their instrument’s voices and personalities where it was easy to identify Spitzer acting as Beauty and Otten portraying the Beast. The classic love story is reimagined without words in this performance of two beings confessing their feelings to one another. The contrast between the grace of Spitzer’s playing and Otten’s gruffness kept the audience engaged.
To end the performance, the duo performed La Valse for Two Pianos (Ravel’s original version). This piece had many layers as it built up who would have the power to glide across the keys and who would support. When they would come together it remained an entertaining sight and sound witnessing two people create such commanding harmony with one another.
The captivating back-and-forth between the two left the audience wanting more and brought the musicians a well-deserved standing ovation.
