One of the more anticipated musical events of the season took place Monday in the Ferguson Center when the Virginia Symphony presented world-acclaimed organist Cameron Carpenter in two of the most popular works in organ-orchestra literature, the Poulenc Concerto for Organ and the Saint-Saens Symphony No. 3 “Organ Concerto.”
Carpenter is known as the “bad boy of the organ,” largely because of his often unorthodox concert clothing — here a modified tuxedo with skin tight leather pants and heeled boots with embedded crystals and Mohawk hairstyle. A defined iconoclast. Then too, there’s the music. Unlike many organists who favor tradition, he’s enjoys the likes of Bach, Patsy Cline, electronic rock and techno.
People either like him or they don’t, the latter more likely because he tends to shun the traditional in looks, repertoire and instrument. Yet, his approach to music is sincere and honest, embracing and nurturing the musical line, emotions, and colors to be drawn. As in politics, controversy sells.
What also makes him a name of renown is that he travels with his own digital organ, the “international touring organ,” the complexities of which are, well, complex. Among its features are computers, amplifiers, servers, a gigantic console with five keyboards, a pedal board, and a bank of large speaker units spread across the rear of the stage. At his hands and feet, it offers amazing sound albeit not of the rich traditional pipe organ type, thus the murmuring among traditionalists. It’s a more linear and pure sound yet one capable of endless colors and intensity.
Assuredly, Carpenter is a true wizard of “aahs” as this program impressively illustrated, starting with the Bach-influenced Poulenc for strings, tympani and organ. Unlike his earlier works that found his frisky compositional style all the rage, the “Organ Concerto” is liturgical in feel, prompted by his return to Catholicism. It blends Baroque and Romantic notions of drama and lyricism into a compelling and thought provoking whole. Not strictly a virtuoso piece, but one with notable challenges, Carpenter’s delivery was technically and musically tops and offered plenty of power and punch.
Before the Saint-Saens, he wowed the audience with a solo rendering of Bach’s “Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor.” Stately and majestic, the non-stop flow of melody and variations built one upon the other, fingers and feet flying over the console in an awesome display of brilliance and control.
The Saint-Saens is a richly lyrical and heroic work filled with soaring lines of beauty and thumping energy. It’s largely orchestral, until the organ steps in and takes command. And when it does, it really does, thundering sounds of declaration. Here, Carpenter unleashed the organ’s full power which was thrilling, especially when merged with full brass fanfares. It’s the way this superb piece should be heard and played, full throttle, full glory, fully spectacular. Carpenter, conductor JoAnn Falletta, and musicians delivered a perfectly blended performance of sweeping design.
Carpenter regaled us with a rip roaring “Stars and Stripes” that found his fast moving glittering heels resembling sparklers on July Fourth. It was wild and wonderful. He followed with another encore, “Nice Work If You Can Get It.”
The evening opened with a zippy “Le Corsaire” of Berlioz. Its pyrotechnic string work set the tone for all that followed. And by golly the fireworks followed in this program that signaled the Virginia Symphony’s tenth year in the Ferguson Center and continued the celebration of Falletta’s 25th year on the podium.
