Faculty recital series offers enchanting performances

On Sunday afternoon in the Alfred Newman Recital Hall, Thornton School of Music keyboard studies professor Daniel Pollack performed a piano recital as part of the Thornton School of Music Faculty Recital Series. The performance featured works by Frederic Chopin, Franz Liszt, Gian Carlo Menotti, Sergei Prokofiev and the world premiere of a new piece by Lalo Schifrin. Pollack’s performance marks the first of the three-part series of faculty recitals hosted by Thornton. Thornton’s faculty recital series showcases music professors across multiple instruments and specialties.

Pollack came with his virtuosic tendencies fully intact for the evening’s performance. Beginning the concert with three pieces by Chopin — “Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor”, “Nocturne in D-flat major” and “Polonaise-Fantasie in A-flat major” — Pollack was able to display his high value for precision balanced with artistic sensibility. His performance allowed Chopin’s works to flow naturally through the piano while keeping precise restraint on the musical passages. His dramatic range, not only between movements but also within each movement, proved to be impressive. Some phrases, however, seemed rehearsed and forced without natural inclination but were nonetheless balanced with spirit and exuberance in other areas.

The hall was full, with few, if any, seats to spare, which can likely be traced to the world premiere of Schifrin’s “Malabo con Brilo.” Schifrin, a veteran of the film music industry and jazz world, is a longwtime friend of Pollack. Pollack wanted Schifrin to compose, per the concert notes, “a solo piece commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Alberto Ginastera, an Argentine composer” Schifrin, a native of Argentina, was able to use Argentinian influences as a basis for the new piece.

Very contemporary in style, “Malabo con Brilo” used eclectic passages juxtaposed with lyrical phrasing. Postmodern trends and the composer’s jazz background started to show through in the piece, which at times was often hard to grasp. In the spirit of experimentation, merit can be given for the daring directions it took. The piece was in good hands under Pollack’s musicianship performing the piece to the fullest of his abilities, giving “Malambo con Brilo” the world premiere it deserved. Pollack and Schifrin, who was in the audience, were praised with a deserving standing ovation.

The last piece of the evening, “Sonata No. 7” by Russian composer Prokofiev, seemed to be appropriate given Pollack’s background performing in Russia on multiple occasions. Pollack was able to not only hold the technical musicianship needs of the piece to a high standard, but was also able to explore the deepest corners of the piece to bring profound meaning to the performance.

Pollack’s performance marks the first of the three-part series of faculty recitals hosted by the Thornton. Thornton’s faculty recital series showcases music professors in the Thornton School of Music across multiple instruments and specialties.

Thornton faculty, including Margaret Batjer on violin, Andrew Shulman on cello and Jeffrey Kahane on piano will present a chamber music concert on Feb. 22 at 7:30 p.m. in the Alfred Newman Recital Hall. The evening will feature Schubert’s Piano Trio No. 2 and Johannes Brahms’ Piano Trio No. 2.

Pollack’s recital proved to be especially noteworthy given his debut at the age of 14 in the Alfred Newman Recital hall. Pollack spoke to the audience following the concert.

“This hall brings so many memories to me because I made my debut, actually one of many at USC, here when I was 14 years old” Pollack said, “So it is especially emotional for me to play on my own home turf.”

On Feb. 24 at 7:30 pm in the Alfred Newman Recital Hall, keyboard studies faculty lecturer Christine Hye-Su Kim will perform pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Claude Debussy and Chopin.

Further information for all concerts and events offered through Thornton can be found at music.usc.edu/events.