An ever-evolving performance
Composer Carter Larsen moves to new levels with “Fantasia Suite.”
By Melonie Magruder / Special to The Malibu Times
Composer, conductor and concert pianist Carter Larsen will be presenting a new movement of his musical vision, “Fantasia Suite,” at the Malibu Synagogue and Jewish Center this Thursday, as a fundraiser for the Malibu Symphony Orchestra.
“Fantasia Suite” is an opus unique in contemporary musical history in that the concept is an ever-evolving performance, based on modern-day improvisation of 300-year-old compositions by classical music’s greatest composers.
“The idea is to take sophisticated music and make it more accessible to 21st century audiences,” Larsen explained in an interview with The Malibu Times. “So, for the concert this month, I will take preludes and fugues by Bach and improvise on them.”
This is not as sacrilegious as it might sound. Larsen said that Bach’s preludes were written before concert halls or even pianos existed (keyboard pieces were played on clavichords and harpsichords in the pre-piano era).
“These were studies, written for the glory of God and people who wanted to study theories behind music,” Larsen said. “We have no idea how Bach might have eventually incorporated these preludes into performance pieces. So it is justifiable to improvise live with this music as Bach himself might have done.”
Chopin’s “G Minor Ballade,” for example, Larsen said, was born from that composer’s own improvisational take on a piece of music.
“So the intention is not to overly formalize interpretations by other great pianists,” Larsen said. “But rather to sparsely interpret works by other composers. My approach is not to compare pianists, but to ask, how is this music composed? It shows the power of improvisation.”
To underscore the lively nature of such an approach to concert fare, Larsen will allow the audience to select works they want to hear and he will then improvise the piece on the spot.
“Bach had 48 different preludes, which is a rich field to mine,” Larsen said. “I want to do 12 improvisations on each one, which will be recorded, transcribed to charts and then played by others.”
More information for VIP or general ticket sales can be obtained by calling 310.456.2178. All proceeds will go to the Malibu Jewish Center and Synagogue, and the Malibu Symphony Orchestra.