Malibu composer and pianist Carter Larsen performs his original work.
By Cathy Neiman/Staff Writer
In an intimate setting Friday night, before a select group of industry friends, Carter Larsen-pianist, composer and a Malibu resident for more than seven years-performed original works, including film scores. Friday’s performance was a late addition to a six-part series at the Raitt Hall on the Pepperdine University campus featuring Larsen’s work.
Three concerts out of the six will exclusively feature Larsen’s original work. The remaining concerts will highlight selections from other distinguished composers such as Mancini, Rachmaninoff and Mozart. Canadian pianist Ritta Bardakjian and local Malibu artist Karen Meler are scheduled to perform as well.
Saturday’s premiere performance began with “Constellations,” Larsen’s newest arrangement. Then Larsen performed the score from Martin Scorsese’s film “Something to Believe In.” The composer said the three themes in the score-man’s internal search; man’s aspirations, dreams, hopes and how he tries to keep them; and what was learned from that-were based on spirituality.
Another piece, “Elegie,” was dedicated to Princess Diana. Larsen said he had spoken to the princess at concerts, between orchestra performances. “She was a dedicated person to music,” he says. The ending of the piece was wrought with piercing pain.
Many of his compositions seemed to be inspired by his surroundings while traveling.
“Flight,” a late addition to the repertoire, was written by Larsen in Hawaii. As he was composing the piece, small groups of Hawaiians started to listen to him play, the group growing larger as he wrote.
Inspired by seagulls flying in and out of the mist, contrasting with the waves off the Isle of Capri, Larsen wrote “Seagulls of Capri,” another last-minute addition to the concert.
And “Gypsies Waltz” was composed by Larsen while in the Swiss Alps. Cows were on the scene as he composed this piece.
“Mass Ascension,” used in the film “Star Trek,” was the finale of Saturday’s concert. Larsen performed a “piano reduction” of the lengthy piece. The audience gave him a standing ovation.
Classically trained as a pianist in London and San Francisco, Larsen is a protg of John Adams at the San Francisco Conservatory. He studied with Peter Feuchtwanger in London, where he was required to read “Zen and the Art of Archery” in order to unlearn bad musical habits. Larsen became popular in London (where he lived on and off for 18 years) and established a name for himself conducting and performing more than 400 concerts to critical acclaim. He performed with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the London Symphony Orchestra as a soloist, along with television appearances and broadcasts on London’s BBC television and Europe’s most popular radio stations. He became a favorite to audiences of 17,000 at London’s Kenwood Concerts. Larson’s list of accomplishments goes on and on. So why leave all of this popularity to go back home to America?
“The film industry,” Larsen says. “The English know a lot about music, but unfortunately they know nothing about film.”
Larsen’s film scoring resume includes “Scarecrow,” “Pierced Heart,” “The Innocents Mission,” “Love Bytes” and his recent feature that premiered at Cannes in 2001, “Big Shots.”
Saturday’s concert was followed by a dessert reception at Tutto Bene restaurant. Enrico Bencivenga, film director and owner of Tutto Bene since June of last year, hosted the reception. Bencivenga and Larsen are currently collaborating on a project together, “joined at the hip,” as Larsen puts it.
As to the rest of the series, Larsen says, “This series will be a bit of an experiment combining two different worlds. I will be showing the creative process, from its origin to film to the performance.”