by Jeremy Reynolds
Ghosts is an apt title for an album featuring Robert Schumann’s solo piano music. The composer had just finished his Geistervariationen (“Ghost Variations”) before entering a mental asylum for treatment of his schizophrenia, which manifested itself as spirits, ghosts, and demons playing him strange, otherworldly music. [Read more…]
Youngstown University’s Dana School of Music will collaborate with the University of Akron’s Kulas Concert Series to present a piano festival comprising seven events both in Youngstown and Akron between October 4 and 7.
Faculty and guest artists Zahari Metchkov, Joachim Reinhuber, Caroline Oltmanns, James Wilding and Sean Baran will play a variety of piano and harpsichord music during recitals throughout the week, and lectures and master classes will fill out the range of activities. The complete schedule follows. [Read more…]
by Daniel Hathaway
Youngstown State University piano professor Caroline Oltmanns launched the new season of Music From The Western Reserve’s distinguished concert series at Christ Episcopal Church in Hudson on Sunday afternoon with an engaging hour of music by Schubert, Beethoven, James Wilding and Chopin. Oltmann’s easy confidence as a performer and her skill as a commentator drew the nice-sized audience in as though listeners and performer were gathered together in an intimate living room.
The centerpiece of the afternoon was Beethoven’s “Waldstein” Sonata, op. 53, which Oltmanns prefaced with the intelligence that the sonata’s earlier nickname was L’Aurore (Dawn) and with the caveat that this would, at 25 minutes, be the most demanding listening assignment of the afternoon. She dispatched the work with a refreshing straightforwardness and relaxed tempos which allowed the music to breathe in places where other pianists press nervously ahead. The final prestos gained extra character from that approach.