This weekend is the second of the Spokane Symphony's Classics series entitled "American Wonders," featuring pianist Andreas Boyde. Andreas came to the studio today to play a few things and talk with Verne about the two very different pieces he will be playing with the symphony: Concerto for Piano and Winds by Igor Stravinsky and perhaps the most well-known piece of American classical music, George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. As Verne notes, what is so striking and interesting is how both of these works were written in 1924 by two composers with completely opposite frames of reference and compositional styles. The Stravinsky, in particular, even removes the strings from the orchestra (except bass), exploiting all the wonderful tonal colors of the wind and percussion instruments.
Currently living in London, Boyde was born in Germany and has concertized all over the world. He is currently on tour in the United States, stopping in Spokane after his visit to Tacoma and preceding his concert in El Paso. His concerts with the Spokane Symphony are this Saturday, October 10th at 8:00pm and Sunday, October 11th at 3:00pm at the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox. Tickets are available now.
