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Richard Jernigan -> Grisha in Austin September 15, 2012 (Sep. 18 2012 2:14:07)
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Grisha played the Long Center, the big hall downtown on the 13th. I'm sure it was a great success.
This concert was in the sizable home of a local couple who are patrons of the arts in several ways, particularly as big contributors to the Austin Classical Guitar Society, who put on the concert on the 13th as well.
We rolled up to the guarded gate of the subdivision, told the guard we were going to the concert at the K's house and showed our tickets. We were promptly admitted, and cruised along a boulevard with big houses and deer grazing on the lawns. Arriving at the house, there were several cars parked on the street, but we were directed into the driveway, and parked behind the caterer's truck.
We were escorted to the front door by servants dressed in black. Just inside we were greeted by April, the Operations Director of the guitar society, and by our host and hostess for the evening. The living room had folding chairs, sofas and easy chairs deployed to seat about 65 people. The evening was billed as a benefit for the guitar society. Tickets weren't cheap, so there was an assortment of wealthy Austinites in attendance. Chatting with several before and after the concert, I didn't detect anyone with a real knowledge of flamenco, though there were a few amateur classical players among Austin's rich and famous.
Larisa and I took front row seats not eight feet from the piano bench set up for the guitarist, and right next to the seven-foot Steinway piano. We had a nice view of the impressionist paintings on the wall that would be behind the guitar player.
It was still fifteen minutes before starting time. I spotted Jerome Mouffe, the classical guitarist slated to play duos with Grisha, and wandered over to chat.
At 7:30 Matt Hinsley, the young Executive Director of the guitar society stood at the front and gave a short speech on the truly impressive accomplishment of the society over the last year, kind of a status report to the audience, which contained a number of patrons of the society. Then it was time for Grisha.
He started with a Sabicas farruca, played with real drive and flash, earning enthusiastic applause. I didn't take notes on all the pieces played, so I'm sure I'm leaving out some, but they included guajiras and colombianas by Paco, granaina by Vicente Amigo, Riqueni's guajiras and others, all played with real emotion and blazing technical perfection. All earned enthusiastic applause.
Grisha finished up the solo part with a Paco bulerias. Sadly I have to report that it was a flop, since no one was visibly drunk and none of the old fat ladies got up to dance.[:D]
Not! The bulerias was truly magnificent in every respect and brought the audience to its feet, with prolonged and enthusiastic applause. Under the cover of the noise, I put in a muttered Ole! since I was standing close enough for Grisha to hear.
A chair was brought out and Jerome joined Grisha to play a duet on Falla's "La Vida Breve". It was great: rhythmically and melodically alive, with a great variety of tone colors from the guitars. They played a guajiras duet. It was composed mainly of falsetas I recognized, and went over very well, as it deserved to do. This was followed by a duet rendition of fandangos naturales, also excellent. They finished off by putting mutes next to the bridges of their instruments and ripping through a pizzicato sounding version of the "Flight of the Bumblebee" at supersonic speed. This got another standing ovation.
Then it was time for chow. There was a very substantial buffet laid out in the cavernous kitchen, good white wine in flowing quantities poured out by more servants in black, and a considerable acreage of walnut table in the dining room to sit around with our plates and make small talk.
After a bit Larisa and I got up and went looking for Grisha. We found him standing in the kitchen with a plate of food, together with a number of the guests. We approached and introduced ourselves. According to Russian etiquette Grisha started to put down his plate to talk, but Larisa urged him in Russian to consider us as family and continue eating. Later she said he looked really hungry and she felt bad about interrupting his meal. But he was very polite and chatted for a while. He said he actually wasn't feeling particularly well, and was a little doubtful about the performance, but when he got into it he forgot about having the flu.
It was a delightful evening. Our hosts, despite having money coming out of their ears, are friendly and down to earth. So were the people I talked to among those whom I hadn't met before. But most of all it was the magnificent music provided by Grisha and Jerome.
Larisa likes flamenco, baile, toque and even cante! But she would be the last one to call herself an aficionada. Driving away among the mansions, manicured lawns and deer, she said that when I asked her if she wanted to go to the concert, she briefly wondered whether it might be another stuffy classical guitar concert. However she thought, "Maybe I'll learn something." She said she really enjoyed herself. The people were nice, but most of all the music was really, really great, and the guys had a lot of fun playing it.
Thanks for a great show, Grisha!
RNJ
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