Soukhovetski, Lanyi interweave art forms
by Sue Wade
What happens when you roll a Fazioli grand, the Ferrari of pianos, into Naples’ preeminent showcase of contemporary art, place a brilliant young pianist at its keyboard, and spin the stories behind the scores?
Multidisciplinary magic.
Grand Piano Series Director of Education and Community Engagement, composer/pianist Konstantin Soukhovetski, pulls off this artistic sleight of hand as part of the series’ summer of Narrative Musicales, a unique format for presenting classical music to audiences of all ages.
All proceeds from the Musicales go to support the series’ free community programs for youth and adults, at public schools, senior centers and the Guadalupe Center of Collier County.
Those who’ve attended Soukhovetski’s special summer programs know what multifaceted events they already are: hour-long, intermissionless, immersively intimate performances featuring a one-of-a-kind emcee who wraps each piece in a strong narrative element.
That July 31’s takes place in a gallery will only enrich the experience.
For this Grand Piano Series–gallery collaboration, co-owner and curator Joe Panarelli welcomes the first of two Musicales to his acclaimed nine-year-old gallery of contemporary art: Quidley & Company Fine Art in the heart of the downtown Naples restaurant district.
Patrons can immerse themselves in an afternoon of music and art, just steps away from enjoying an al fresco dinner.
Pianist du jour Ariel Lanyi, now 27 and based in London, grew up as the only child of music-loving parents, in a household where, he said, “Music was very much present. There was a piano in the house, and I heard music all the time, so it was natural that I should want to make music myself.”
In March 2023, the young music maker was honored with the Prix Serdang, a Swiss prize awarded by the distinguished Austrian pianist Rudolf Buchbinder in recognition of young pianists’ achievements and as an investment in their future. Before that, Lanyi had taken third prize at the 2021 Leeds International Piano Competition.
Now graduated from the competition circuit, he finds “proper concerts” and chamber music to be more gratifying experiences, where he loves sharing great music with appreciative small audiences.
When Lanyi visits Grand Piano Series in Naples, his own sonic art will resound amid the contemporary visual art of Quidley & Company.
Europe’s east and west meet in a program that features Beethoven’s classicism and Chopin’s epic romanticism bookending authentic Hungarian folk songs by Bartók.
When he penned the Sonata in G major, Beethoven was dissolving into deafness but still showed off a surprising sense of humor in a tongue-in-cheek composition that might be taken as a sly joke from the master.
Chopin’s masterpiece Third Sonata provides close to the grand symphony that the virtuoso pianist/composer never had a chance to write. A challenging piece that has tested the world’s finest pianists, it will bring the Musicale to a thunderous climax.
As usual, Soukhovetski will illuminate the personal stories and artistic inspirations behind all these musical treasures, including a brief Q&A with the guest artist.
“These are all pieces that have meant a great deal to me,” said Lanyi, who echoed the mission of Grand Piano Series itself when he added, “I believe they’re among the finest, even if not the best-known, works by these composers.”
NARRATIVE MUSICALE
The Birth of Romanticism: Beethoven, Bartók, Chopin
4 p.m. July 31, Quidley & Company Fine Art Gallery, 375 Broad Avenue South, Naples
This venue has limited capacity, so don’t wait to purchase single tickets ($60) at grandpianoseries.org. For assistance, call 469-333-3231.