Musical Offering (2008)
Note from Anatoly:
"In 2007, I decided to put together a solo program of works that I would enjoy performing for an audience. Over time, the program became as follows:
J.S.Bach - Fugue in E Flat Minor from WTK I
J.S.Bach - Two canons from the "Musical Offering", BWV 1079
Beethoven - Sonata No. 26, Op. 81a
Chopin - Etude Op. 10, No. 1
L. Godowsky - Study No. 2, Arrangement of Chopin’s Op. 10, No. 1 for Left Hand
Berg - Piano Sonata
Messiaen - Ile de feu I
Cage - 4'33"
John Starosta - Yellowing I, II, III
Larkin - Total Improvisation
As you can see, the program was designed as a kind of chronological overview of music (mostly intended for piano) beginning with J.S.Bach and ending with "today's music" (as represented by my improvisation). In my usual fashion, I "entertained" the audience with various "tricks", such as pretending to be a human CD player in the beginning of the concert, "fast forwarding" through a CD album of Bach's WTK 1, until arriving at the programmed fugue (playing it at normal performance speed) ... During the canons, I actually sang some made up words to the notes of the cantus firmus, while letting my hands play the canon parts. As always, there is nothing like a bit of levity to capture people's attention.
John Lambert wrote an "in-spirit" review after my Meredith college performance, which you can read here."