Rhapsodies & Rhythms: A Jazz & Classical House Concert

HOUSTON, TX -- I love intimate little affairs. Wait a second … that came out wrong. It should have read ‘involving music’ at the end. It still sounds dubious, but it will have to do. Recently I had the opportunity to attend a house concert at the home of my friend Jason Herbst, in Piney Point Village; with some great performers, including my friend Olena Blagulyak (the Ukrainian spelling), who recently was the piano soloist at the Conroe Symphony Orchestra’s ‘Tunes from the Toons’ concert in October. I am growing quite used to these little salons involving wondrous sounds, and each event gives me more strength to be a better chronicler of what I’m seeing and hearing; to give you the reader the itch, to come and see for yourself what you are really missing.

I was struck by the fact that it was the 35th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall, November 9th, 1989. It’s a special day for me. I was 23, and I was there in that Sea of Humanity that night at the Brandenburg Gate, in The Heart of Europe, and I have the pictures to prove it. And knowing that two of the performers, Ms. Blagulyak, from Ukraine, and Eduard Gavril, from Romania, were born under communism in their native Soviet satellite states. Well, I am so grateful that they’ve been able to come to America, and be free and able to choose their pathways to success having met each other at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville. Yes, they are at liberty to make the music that they want to make. To perform to whoever they want to entertain. To teach those they want to implore knowledge too. And I’ll be honest, I had to step away for a few moments when my emotions built up. I retreated to a quiet place and silently wept in a corner. I was thinking of those who wanted freedom from the Iron Curtain, tried for it, but didn’t make it. It was serious stuff back then, but now looks like a tame kitten.

Due to an unfortunate pickle jar opening incident, Gavril’s opening piece, Franz Liszt’s ‘Romanian Rhapsody,’ was sidelined due to his injury and the prohibitive nature of the work. It was “Too stretchy,” he said. No doubt the Pickle Packers International will be investigating why Eduard couldn’t ‘pick a peck of pickled peppers.’ The stand-in was George Gershwin’s ‘Cuban Overture,’ which was well within range for the ailing mano of the Romanian Jazz Pianist, and representative of the Spanish nature of the Romanian people. Gershwin spent several weeks in Cuba in the early 1930’s, and Eduard described the composer as a bit of a party boy. And knowing the atmosphere well in far off exotic places, living the ultimate night, and with the overture being dominated by Caribbean rhythms and themes, it opens a wonderful view to the Isle of Youth, with all its vivid colors and the influence that music has upon the island nation. The CO is a getting to know you piece, reminiscent of the swinging times that Cuba offered prior to the Fidel Castro influence. The great Olena accompanied Eduard, highlighting the softness of the work, perhaps representative of hidden intimacies in the dark places of a crowd. It was a joy to see Gavril and Blagulyak dance amongst the keys, and despite the change in titles, you could still feel the jazz on Eduard’s side versus the classical nature for Olena. It was fun to see the back and forths between the couple, the tit for tats – almost Rhapsody like? So with Gershwin’s Cuban Overture, you can live that ultimate night … and easily double or triple it.

When Dr. Olena Blagulyak, from the University of Houston (Go Coogs!), sat down at the piano to perform Liszt’s ‘Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C# Minor,’ I want you to imagine Helen of Troy, or even one of my ancestors, Eleanor of Aquitaine, taking their place amongst the ivories. The stunning beauty and talent of Olena is seductive. I had no choice but to close my eyes, and write a stream of consciousness on my reMarkable tablet in taking notes. Dr. B only debuted the piece publicly last month in Conroe, after several months of study, and you’d think that she has been playing Franz Liszt since she was a child. During the short lassan, you can’t help but think a little on Bugs Bunny, who also performed the No. 2 Rhapsody as well, in ‘Rhapsody Rabbit,’ a November 1946 Merrie Melodies animated short that featured the cottontail ivory tickler. Blagulyak’s carrotless lassan was entrancing, and set the mood for the friska, or the section with the faster tempo. The Ukrainian performed the poignant piece brilliantly by memory. Her command of the keys held the audience in awe. It was played with a heartfelt passion. It was dazzling. Done with such softness and precision from an artist whose habit is to play it with her eyes closed, as if the sheet music was taped to the inside of her cornea’s. And a short part of the rhapsody, if you listen closely, the beginning of the movement slips me. It gives rise to Jean Michel Jarre’s 2nd rendez-vous from April 1986’s ‘Rendez-vous Houston,’ concert, which celebrated the 150th birthday, or sesquicentennial, of Texas; the 25th Anniversary of NASA; and a remembrance of astronaut Ron McNair, Jarre’s friend, who perished in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster just months before. Olena was dynamite, and on fire at the same time. She ran the board with such ease, she could probably have played it in her sleep. Every note was perfection, and if you closed your eyes drinking it in, you could easily have found yourself in the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall in Budapest. It was simply brilliance on display. Bravo!

Next was Dave Brubeck's 'Points on Jazz’ (Two Pianos), arranged by his brother Howard, based on Dave’s trip to Poland in March 1958, on a train between Llodz and Poznan. And with Blagulyak who is of Polish ancestry, and her hometown of Kamianets-Podilskyi, Ukraine a short 315 miles from the border, the piece has special meaning to her as well. You can see both Eduard and Olena play the piece on ‘Eduard Gavril - Official’ on YouTube, when they were studying at the Moore’s School at the University of Houston. You could appreciate the rhythmic variations on the theme, again right on target with the night’s topic of Jazz & Classical. There are elements of romance and melancholy that accompanied Dave on his trip in the midst of the barren landscape. You can feel the Blues' ups and downs, as well as the Ragtime motifs. Gavril is old hat at the game, but with classically trained Olena, she is coming along quite nicely, and Points on Jazz is an excellent piece for students and pianists who are not jazz oriented. Call it a gateway to a new horizon with the ivories, demanding the requirements of a steady beat and of the triplet in jazz rhythm. It’s a small unsettling of ivoral original thought of a steady, unchanging beat previously learned. The teamwork was awesome, with both O and E capable of running the board delighting the audiences from house concerts to large halls. Brubeck’s Blues movement represents the periods of the intensity of servants in society and their underwhelming expectations versus dreary outlooks for personal success. Eduard’s intensity ramped up in the Rag movement. He is very comfortable in a salon setting exhibiting proficiency for a group of intimate friends. My amigo Bill Thompson comes to mind with his love of Ragtime and the salon he overlords in Conroe. The Waltz was of course reminiscent of a Vienna night, and imparted a sense of wonder. I once spent the night near the train station there, and saw the stars from a balcony in a magical embracement. The A La Turk was busy. Interesting. And busy again. The hassle of happiness. I couldn’t get enough of the teamwork between Eduard and Olena, each taking a lead in the piece, watching the back and forths was like a dance that you didn’t want to end, as they reduce the intensity of the grand conclusion lost in each other’s love.

And as a short encore to end the first half, was William Bolcom’s third movement from 1969, ‘The Serpent’s Kiss,’ from his quartet of suites in The Garden of Eden, a part of the Old Testament story. The mood in Serpent’s Kiss is busy, with whims of evil intentions to free and easy, to chaos. And then you hear something unheard of. A near once in a lifetime event that will make you sit up and take notice. The softness gives way to a criminal intent. We are talking Eden here, the Garden has a snake, doing its best to rob humanity of its innocence with a simple bite of a red orb. Then you hear it … foot stomping? Piano knocking? Mouth chomping? The mashing of teeth? All, representations of an angry Almighty’s reaction to his guests ruining his once beautiful Garden. The banishing of Adam and Eve, the awareness of their nakedness, brings shame, doubt, and a realization that life is hard; for them paradise is now lost, as Eduard downs his head into the keys at the end. Splendid I say.

The final piece was Claude Bolling’s 1989 ‘Sonata for Two Pianists No. 1.’ It has a 1970’s feel starting out, in fact it was initially written for a French television show in 1972 for a Parisian pianist, and again fulfilled the theme for the evening with its classical and jazzy feel, this time incorporating the Double Bass of Stephen Martin, and Drums of Arthur Gilligan. It starts with a look, with the promise of intimacy with its stages. The DB and drum accompaniment is welcomed, giving more perspective to the piece, further ramping expectations of what is to come, at times raising the tiny hairs on your arms upon the anticipated consummation. The second movement gives the feel of Paris for sure, yes early 1970’s, but I felt a little influence from a generation earlier with Rick and Ilse in 1940. You can feel the intimacy of the piece, of being with your beloved, then stress of outside influences and the remembrance of the good times. Softness. Romance. Directness. Uncertainty. The solo of Arthur with his brushes, is soothing, and offers a respite for Eduard and Olena. Stephen Martin soon joins with his double bass. It’s as if they are jamming by the seat of their pants, unplanned, yet scripted at the same time, yielding to a wonderful four minute meld of wooded strings and percussion that is an enticement for the gray cells. The final movement begins with the pianists, and it’s wonderful to hear the differing distinctions in the piece between what is classical, and what is jazz. There are plenty of surprises between the dueling pianos, and they were truly in their element the whole evening.

I can honestly say that it was a mind blowing evening. Jason Herbst is a true lover of the musical arts, and he kindly opens his abode to complete strangers, for the simple love of music. Olena, Eduard, Stephen and Arthur are amazing artists. They are kind and humble, extremely talented, patient and respectful, and willing to take the time to answer your questions or receive your well deserved felicitations.

Memorial Classical Music Series: www.facebook.com/memorialclassical

www.eventbrite.com/o/memorial-classical-music-series-9167975722

Next concert 11/24: MCMS Presents Echoes & Reflections

Ruben can be reached at: ruben@montgomerycountynews.net