Montauk Pioneer - September 5, 2008

What a brilliant performance by Pianist Andrew Armstrong at the Montauk Library. Ruth Widder, Chairperson of The Music For Montauk, brought last Saturday evening to the Library a wonderful event. For two hours the audience was at the edge of their seats as if watching a thriller movie.

Mr. Armstrong opened the concert with Franz Liszt (1811-1918): Vallee d'Obermann (Obermann's Valley) from Annees de Pelerinage. He explained to the audience that the unwritten rule for a musician is to normally open with a happy song but this time he broke the rule by playing a very serious and somber song. The piece was about a spiritual journey of Mr. Obermann, based on a book.

We could hear the pain and suffering that Mr. Obermann was going through, the vigorous play of the piano and the facial expressions of Mr. Armstrong.

Claude Debussy's (1862-1918) Four Preludes from Book 1 was quite interesting, especially when Mr. Armstrong played La Cathedrale Engloutie (The Sunken Cathedral). Mr. Armstrong explained that the cathedral was built below sea level and when the tide went up, the church's basement went under water. While Mr. Armstrong played, I could see the building rise through the lake just like the one in a James Bond movie. When the Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849) Scherzo No. 2 was played in B-flat minor, Mr. Armstrong warned us about the constant repetition of 2 chords throughout the 10-minute piece. He mentioned that it was worth knowing the piece just to learn these 2 chords.

After a brief intermission, the 'piece de resistance' of the evening, was the Russian composer, Modest Mussorgsky's (1839-1881): Pictures from an Exhibition played flawlessly by Mr. Armstrong. This is the first time that I have ever experienced drawings and watercolors by the artist/architect Victor Hartmann being described through a musical piece. Apparently, Mr. Mussorgsky and Mr Hartmann were good friends but when the latter died at the young age of 39, Mr. Mussorgsky was devastated.

When a mutual friend, Vladimir Stassov, organized a memorial exhibit in Hartmann's honor in St. Petersburg in 1874, Mr. Mussorgsky was so inspired that he was compelled to compose. Out of 400 paintings, ten were chosen.

Each piece was introduced and linked by a series of promenades or walks as when one walks from one painting to another in a museum. Each piece was explained in detail so that the audience would be able to follow and perhaps actually see the works of art through music. Unfortunately, most of the original drawings have been either lost, destroyed by neglect or yet to be discovered. Most of the explanations exist only in books. I particularly enjoyed the Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks.

I also enjoyed Limoges-Le marche-The Marketplace at Limoges, a 19th Century market place with women shopping and talking, carrying their baskets, bustling about. Both pieces left me with a happy feeling unlike the Catacomb (Roman burial ground) with a slow succession of deep chords that made me feel sad.

What I liked about this concert is that Mr. Armstrong took the time to explain each piece before playing them to the point that a layman like me could understand the difficult pieces he played.

Andrew Armstrong has performed solo recitals and appeared with orchestras in Asia, Europe, Latin America and the United States. Before beginning his career as a concert pianist, he received over 25 national First Prizes. At the 1993 Van Cliburn Competition, he was so young that a special award was made for him called the Jury Discretion Award. In 1996, he was named the Gilmore Young Artist.

This is the third time Mr. Armstrong has been to Montauk to perform. For more info check his web site: www.andrewarmstrong.com