The Illinois Symphony Orchestra [ISO] will bring a visually inspired performance to the stage this month, featuring world-renowned pianist Jeremy Denk in his Bloomington-Normal debut, plus a U.S. premiere by composer Bernd Richard Deutsch and Mussorgsky's celebrated Pictures at an Exhibition.
Pictures in Motion is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 21 in the newly renovated concert hall at Illinois State University's Center for the Performing Arts.
ISO Music Director Taichi Fukumura said the program was built around Bartók's Piano Concerto No. 2, a rarely performed work which brings Denk to the orchestra for the first time.
"You'd think, on paper, Pictures is the centerpiece of the program, but the Bartók came first in our planning," Fukumura said.
Denk is among the world's foremost pianists. He was named a MacArthur Foundation Fellow in 2013, receiving its coveted "Genius" grant. He also won the Avery Fisher Prize, which is among classical music's most prestigious awards.
Fukumura said Denk's manager approached the ISO, proposing it as a proving ground as he brings the notoriously hard concerto back into his repertoire.
"He's played it before, but it's been awhile, and he's playing it in multiple places," Fukumura said. "Bartók's Piano Concerto No. 2 — people don't ever program that. I've personally never heard it in a concert in person."
Bartók's pieces can be as difficult for audiences as they are for the musicians, but Fukumura describes this one as "a really cool piece."
"Aside from really demanding soloistic writing for piano, also for the orchestra, it's very virtuosic. But it also brings out a lot of colors and different instruments and personalities within the orchestra,” Fukumura said. “We want to make sure that the program around it really reflects that."
Deutsch's Con Moto and Pictures at an Exhibition were picked to complement the Bartók, the later closing the program.
Fukumura said Pictures presents an opposite challenge from the other two.
“One of the dangers with something like Pictures is it's performed so often,” Fukumura said. “You can fall into the trap of kind of playing a generic rendition of it. And actually, it's really fantastic music. To really dive deep into it and explore everything that's in there, it is a challenge, and it's something really worthwhile for us right now."
One of the most important aspects of performing the piece, according to Fukumura, is capturing the experience Mussorgsky planned to create, which was to take listeners on a journey through an art exhibition — without letting it feel too segmented or episodic.
“When you walk through, each art piece can really suck you into a totally different world. You spend some time there, but then you move on. You walk off to another thing. You can spend a couple hours, half a day, a whole day in a museum, and have this crazy journey going from one place to another through these artworks.” Fukumura said.
To further recreate that feeling, the ISO has invited a group of Bloomington-Normal artists to create piece inspired by what they see, feel and imagine through listening to Mussorgsky's music. They will be showcased in the lobby outside the concert hall for audiences to enjoy before the orchestra plays.
Fukumura said the Deutsch was a particularly meaningful selection. It will be the first time Con Moto has been performed in the United States.
“I'm one of the first people to ever conduct it,” Fukumura said.
The piece was originally written for the Mahler Competition, an international conducting competition in Germany which launched Fukumura's career.
“I totally understood what he was going for musically, and it was so my jam,” Fukumura said. “I was so excited about it, and it was a very memorable part of the competition for me, and I knew, since then, that I wanted to bring it to other places. It just takes time to make sure you don't tack it on somewhere, but find a perfect program like this one to make it work.”
Pictures in Motion takes place at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 21 at the ISU Center for the Performing Arts, 400 W. Beaufort St. Tickets are $14-$69 at 309-438-2535 and ilsymphony.org.
