Pianist shines in performance with Philharmonic

It's rare that the Las Vegas Philharmonic books a magician as its accompanying act, but that's just what happened Saturday evening, when pianist Valentina Lisitsa almost made her fingers disappear.

The tall, blond Ukrainian pianist, who appeared before a near-capacity crowd at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with the Philharmonic, does not profess to be a modern-day Houdini. No matter. During her encore, Liszt's "Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2" -- a test of any piano player, first published as a piano solo in 1851 -- her fingers moved so fast that they were almost a blur. Her hands were whirlwinds of motion, emotion and salience with a breathless force.   

The standing ovation, and accompanying "bravas" at the conclusion of the encore, created one of the loudest, and longest, audience reactions in the auditorium in years.

Lisitsa is not an overnight sensation. She began playing at age 3, and has toured Europe, North and South America and Japan. She began winning awards in 1990 in her native country, and this year alone has concerts in such varied locations as France, Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, Canada; and El Paso, Texas -- all far from rural North Carolina, where she now resides with her husband, also a pianist, and their 3 year old.

Conductor and music director David Itkin shared his pre-curtain conversation with Lisitsa. Both noted that her programmed piece Chopin's "Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 11, E minor," from 1830, was not the best in the classical music bunch. While both agreed the piano portion was fine, "To say Chopin's orchestra music is 'klutzy' is being polite . ... It's lumpy," Itkin said. "We as an orchestra need to 'de-klutz-i-fy' the orchestral portion."

He added that the orchestra had to "work very hard" when Lisitsa was not playing to assure that the piece had the same strength as when she was. (Not everyone is so harsh. Some critics agree that the orchestration is dull, while others say it was designed to be simple and complement the complexity of the keyboard.)

No matter. Lisitsa, in a flowing, golden gown, her blunt-cut, below-the-shoulder hair tucked behind her ears when she concentrated, made the Chopin do what she wanted it to do, demonstrating the varied emotions and the true intensity as she desired.

Her key strokes were made with delicate flourishes and finishes, as she sometimes hunched over the keyboard in unadulterated intensity -- then, suddenly, dropped hands to her lap as she sat waiting for her next entry into the fulsome composition. It was clear. She was so detached and then so involved, no one could doubt her honesty to the work, her intensity or her skill. She exhaled at the end ... along with virtually everyone on and off stage.

The evening opened with Debussy's "Prelude to 'The Afternoon of a Faun' " from 1894. "It's nine amazing minutes," Itkin said in his pre-curtain remarks, "all about the flute and the flute section." The emotive and sensual work tells of the longings and desires of a woodland spirit.

The tune is familiar, yet the musicians conquered possible banality with strong effort and unity complementing the flutes.

After intermission, the orchestra returned with Grieg's "Symphonic Dances." Grieg, a Norwegian composer and pianist, wrote his symphonic dances around 1896. They were inspired by folk music previously collected, with a light, bright touch. His multitude of piano works, critics say, sometimes caused him to be called the "Chopin of the North." Here, the orchestra was winsome and bright, a charming coda for a monumental evening.