Tuxedos by Steinway & Vodka by Chopin

Flanked by flickering shutters, members of the press, and mannequins wearing tuxedos valued at over $7,500, Elizabeth and I gave each other one of those looks ("...just how did we get ourselves into another one of these fabulously outrageous circumstances?") and plunged into our standard four-hand repertoire with our usual unassailable gusto. Steinway & Sons had invited Anderson & Roe to perform as the featured performers at their black tie event, celebrating none other than their new line of concert wear for men. The tuxes looked seriously awesome (next time, I hope they'll consider fitting me in one of those marvels of modern fashion), and Liz and I were happy to help celebrate the event at Steinway Hall.

We played at the end of the party, after the speeches took place, after the models showcased their new attire, and after the crowd had enjoyed plenty of Chopin vodka. Perhaps the timing was to our advantage because everyone was in a good mood; we certainly did our best to make the evening a little merrier.

I'll try to post a picture in the next couple days. You've got to see Liz's dress! She looked so hot!! The strongly-hued silk, the paisley-patterned sequins, the lace-covered slits, ah!!! I wasn't alone in my thinking - the emcee (some amazing football star whose name we've rather embarrassingly forgotten) thought Liz looked hot too. His speech following our performance made several references to "that hot girl over there in blue."

Southwest Sojourn, Part III

A third posting on our Southwest Sojourn, again by yours truly - Greg.

The six-piano concert that Liz mentioned was a unique experience for the two of us. I've composed piles of music for five pianos (The 5 Browns), but I've never actually performed with more than one other piano at the same time. Surprisingly, the six of us fit together remarkably easily, and with only 20 minutes of rehearsal, we were ready to perform Tim Seddon's compact minimalist statement: Sixteen for six pianos. Cool piece! We spent nearly every minute around our joyous colleagues, The Piano Ensemble (Fred Oldenburg, Jeroen van Veen, and Elizabeth and Marcel Bergmann), chuckling, laughing, and guffawing.

I'll leave a discussion of our photo shoot in the Rocky Mountains to my dear friend, Liz. :-)

Southwest Sojourn, Part II

Liz wrote about the first concert, so I'll tackle the second. Titled "Flair & Fury: A new approach to four hands at one piano," this concert attempted to show just what could be done by two pianists at one piano. It sounded like a nice idea in theory, but "man!" did those 75 minutes of music give us a workout. We'll need a daily aerobic routine if we plan to perform the "Flair & Fury" program with any frequency!

Nevertheless, the concert went well, particularly The Rite of Spring. The poor piano didn't know what hit it. (For those who are interested, "Spring Rounds" hit it ... and, well, so did the "Sacrificial Dance").

We worked out some awesome lighting design for the performance with the excellent designer, Z. Z nailed all the cues and continually amazed us with her spot-on portrayal of the music through lighting. For those of you in attendance, what did you think? Did the lighting enhance or detract from the music?

Southwest Sojourn, Part I

It's Liz again, hoping all of you are enjoying the start of the summer. Greg and I are in the outskirts of Salt Lake City, savoring the blindingly blue skies, awe-inspiring vistas, and wonderful hospitality of the Brown family (our best friends). We're winding down after a busy stint at the Gina Bachauer International Piano Festival, where we performed three times: on June 20 we presented the festival's opening concert on two pianos; on June 21 we gave a four-hand/one-piano recital; and on June 23 we were involved in a piece for six pianos (yes, six). All the concerts took place at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center in downtown Salt Lake City.

In our first concert, we performed our trademark transcriptions of Danse macabre and Erbarme Dich as well as our new 50-minute composition based on Carnival of the Animals. We especially loved the audience's ebullient response to the Carnival. The audience roared with laughter at all the right places, understood the musical allusions, and clapped after each movement. Consequently Greg and I felt extra-energized to pull out all the stops performance-wise, and we had a ball. When we and our listeners have fun, it feels like a job well done!

Carnival at Yamaha Artist Services

Hey! It's Greg here. Liz has had a persistent cold (that honey needs to sleep!), and so I agreed to take over to report on our latest concert.

This concert should have been an awesome event, but thanks to a very sore throat, stormy weather, an unnecessarily long concert (3+ hours...), and strange acoustics, it was nothing short of a struggle. To make matters worse, the pianos were not dovetailed. Instead, they were placed tail to tail to fit the strange stage set-up. Usually Liz and I sit a full 10-11 feet apart, but last night we were stationed a massive 20 feet apart of one another. It was like we were screaming to each other across an energy-zapping chasm, and any hopes for intimate, conversational two-piano playing disappeared in the black-hole between us.

Alas!

Nevertheless, we had fun, and we were extremely appreciative to see (and hear) Keats, David, Melody, Casey, Charles, and TJ in the audience!

- Greg

Cabaret at The Rep

It's Greg here, commenting on our latest concert in Milwaukee, Wisconsin - an awesome cabaret-style event with an awesome audience! We were so fortunate to premiere our new depiction of Saint-Saens' zoological fantasy in a theatrical setting populated with joyous listeners.

Our latest composition is a completely new take on Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals. This is not the Carnival of the Animals you heard in your third grade music class, even though it's based on some of the familiar melodies from the original score (in addition to a whole lot more). The piece attempts to go beyond a simple musical depiction of animals; in fact, it has more to say about humans than anything else...

The premiere went remarkably well, considering the rush to compose and prepare it in time. Yes, there were a few lost notes here and there, but we compensated with our characteristic first-performance adrenaline and spontaneity. I am, nonetheless, quite embarrassed to confess that I completely lost it when Liz began speaking in a pseudo-European accent during the text to "Homo pianisticus!" "Keep a straight face, Greg! Keep a straight face!"

If we learned one thing performing at The Rep in Milwaukee, however, it was this: don't let your audience select and arrange a portion of your program for you. In theory, it was a great idea – it allowed audience members to interact with us and it gave them a say in the shape and content of the program. But in practice, the results can be downright merciless to the performers!

Audience members were given a ballot to fill out during the first half of the concert.

"Please vote for three of the following works. The three or four pieces to receive the highest number of votes will be performed by the Anderson & Roe Piano Duo during the second half of the program."

What did the audience choose? The fastest, most technically challenging pieces on the list! Do we blame them? Of course not! Is it physically possible to follow the first impression from our Star Wars Fantasy with the "Dance of the Earth" from The Rite of Spring and our arrangement of Piazzolla's Libertango? Well, barely!

Regardless, the "Audience Votes" section of our concert kept us on our toes, and we were sure to conclude the concert with an unhurried encore.


If you were in attendance, let us know what you thought!

Swans, swans, and more swans

(Greg writes in grey)
(Liz writes in white)

Liz and I are presently en route from LA to NYC reflecting on a lavish albeit brief sojourn at the Hotel Bel-Air, where we performed for a special Juilliard function. What a hotel! You know you are residing in the lap of luxury when your wake-up call includes a detailed description of the day’s weather and a bellman bringing you your choice of coffee or tea on an elegant tray.

We arrived on Saturday afternoon in an uncharacteristically cool Los Angeles. Ironically, we left warmer and more gorgeous weather in New York! However, we had no need to complain because the hotel's sprawling grounds were absolutely breathtaking. The hotel is famous for its idyllic gardens, swan-laden ponds, and old-Hollywood décor. We actually got our first taste of the high life at the airport when we were escorted directly from the gate to our car service (with a driver named Duke, no less!).

Upon arriving at the hotel we were warmly greeted at the hotel as "Mr. Anderson and Ms. Roe" and were referred to as such by the staff for the remainder of our stay. As our rooms were being prepared for us, we decided to grab some lunch at the hotel restaurant, dining alfresco beneath a latticed ceiling of sorts adorned with fuschia flowers. After our meal we were led to our handsomely furnished rooms; among the unique features of our rooms was a private patio with a little fountain in mine and a huge plasma-screen TV in Greg's. Since the pianos hadn't been delivered yet, Greg and I had about an hour to kill, and so we decided to take advantage of the pool (not a bad way to pass the time!). We felt terribly lucky and terribly spoiled as we basked in the sunshine sipping our fresh pink lemonades on towel-covered chaises and wading in the heated waters. The rest of the day consisted of a rehearsal and a super-deluxe three-course dinner. We capped the day off with a late-night viewing of Tristan and Isolde (the movie, not the opera), which we watched on Greg's massive TV.

**A funny tangent: we were having problems with the DVD player - for some reason, the DVD was playing, but nothing was showing up onscreen and no sounds were playing either - so we called the front desk for assistance. For some reason it took nearly an hour for someone to show up, but finally a kindly staff worker appeared. I suppose we left the DVD playing during that hour because when the worker eventually got the machine to work, the image of a nearly naked James Franco and Sophia Myles passionately kissing popped onscreen! We all laughed and Greg tried to temper the embarassment of the situation by remarking, "Um, it's actually an action movie..." And he wasn't referring to that type of action!**

On Sunday we had brunch at the hotel restaurant (it was another sumptuous and time-consuming affair). During the afternoon, we were interviewed by a Chinese television crew about our experiences at Juilliard, and we had a little bit of time to warm up in the ballroom. Incidentally, the stage had to be reset after a wedding reception. This hotel is apparently a popular site of high society weddings, and it's amusing that Greg and I consistently yet pointlessly find ourselves in romantic locales such as this! Finally, the official events started: a cocktail reception preceded an elaborate dinner which was punctuated by eloquent speeches by President Joseph W. Polisi, Dean Ara Guzelimian, and Drama Division director James Houghton. At last, it was time for Greg and I to take the stage. We performed an eclectic program of our signature transcriptions: two movements from our Star Wars Fantasy, the Libertango, Erbarme Dich and Danse macabre. It was a success and the audience - filled with donors, alumni, and friends of Juilliard - responded with great zeal.


Afterward, Greg and I celebrated by pigging out on room service fare (which Greg joyfully chronicles here).

My favorite example of the pampering, mollycoddling treatment we received at the hotel (and our reaction to it)…

Sunday following the concert, Liz and I were still hungry.

(It's hard to eat a full meal immediately prior to performing. Have you ever heard of food coma, that sleepy feeling caused by the expenditure of energy toward the digestion of your meal? It doesn't serve a pianist well mid-Anderson & Roe performance.)

Anyway, we ordered room service. Liz and I had had enough five-star food for one weekend, so Liz ordered a grilled cheese sandwich, I ordered mac and cheese (my favorite), and the two of us ordered a serving of French fries. A half-hour later, a server strolled in with a table-on-wheels beautifully laden with our meals, individual jars of condiments (including butter shaped like swans), a bouquet of fresh flowers, a basket of artisan breads, and a pot of hot tea. It was glorious. The French fries were topped with real truffle shavings and Parmesan cheese; my mac and cheese was unlike any I've had before; and Liz's grilled cheese...well, Liz's grilled cheese had somehow morphed into a plate of assorted goat's cheeses.

She didn't care. The two of us, unkempt in our pajamas, gorged ourselves without any consideration for the civilities of upstanding social etiquette. We downed the truffles and smothered our faces with cheese, all the while squealing with laughter at the over-the-top nature of the situation. Who couldn't help but dissolve into hysterics at the sight of Liz filling her mouth with exotic cheese while at the same time restocking her supply of pommes-frites, all the while engaging in truly inane conversation?


We certainly enjoyed our glamorous escape to LA, but we were indeed happy to return to our more humble if responsibility-loaded lifestyles back on the east coast.

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice!

Juilliard asked us to perform in a special Carnegie Hall-sponsored concert in honor of the school's centennial year. The event, which took place at Zankel Hall on December 9, 2005, was entitled Juilliard Young Artists and Their Mentors. We, along with other selected Juilliard instrumentalists, were the so-called "young artists," and pianists Joseph Kalichstein and Brian Zeger were the feted "mentors." Because of this concert, we were given the wonderful opportunity to work closely with Mr. Kalichstein on the Brahms Sonata for Two Pianos in F minor, Op. 34b (more universally recognized as the Piano Quintet). In the end, our interpretation of this magnificent albeit notoriously difficult work was a fusion of Mr. Kalichstein's invaluable expertise and our own fiercely personal vision.

Many memories of this rewarding experience linger to this day: our musical collaboration with Mr. Kalichstein, an artist and person of the utmost class, wit, finesse, and generosity; our rigorous and sometimes emotionally-wrought rehearsals; falling in love with the duo version of Brahms's immortal Piano Quintet; playing the first movement (almost) exactly as we had hoped; enjoying the terrific acoustics of Zankel Hall while onstage; soaking in the rousing standing ovation from the full house; witnessing the smiling faces of family, friends, and fans. We were lucky to take part in this -- and so many other -- Juilliard Centennial celebrations during the 2005-2006 season. Happy 100th birthday to our beloved alma mater!

EJR, 27 Feb 2007


Just to add to what Liz stated -

Enter the backstage entrance to Carnegie Hall as a performing artist for the first time was a dream-come-true. Walking on stage was even better! I was overcome by the venue's sense of legacy and importance. The building has an amazing energy about it that certainly added to our performance. Thanks Juilliard for such an incredible experience!

GA

Recitals in Port Jefferson, Sarasota, and Southampton (April 2005)

We admit it! The best part of a musical life (other
than the music itself) is the simple fact that it
introduces you to awesome people and places.

Last April we shared with those we love:

• great food
• relaxing beaches
• a night of meringue
• mind-blowing sunsets
• evenings of song
• last-minute ironing &
• dangerously lengthy guffaws

The concerts had their moments too, such as when:

• the dressing room was locked
• Greg left the music backstage
• Liz called for spontaneous improvisational games
• we tangled our arms mid-performance (3x!)
• the audience stood during the piece to see what on earth we were doing
• we premiered our new Bach transcription in Sarasota
• the Saint-Saens went really, really well

All in all, we shared great music in great places with great people!