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SSO throwing 200th birthday party for Liszt

Lisztomania tribute will feature Croatian piano virtuoso Kemal Gekic

Kemal Gekic

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By Andrew McGinn, Staff Writer 4:15 PM Thursday, November 10, 2011

SPRINGFIELD — Calling Kemal Gekic a Liszt interpreter doesn’t really do justice to what he does.

Yes, technically, he specializes in the music of Franz Liszt, and, by all accounts, he plays it exceptionally well.

But when this Croatian pianist takes the stage Saturday with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra to play the first two Liszt concertos, it’ll be more like Steven Tyler’s connection to Mick Jagger.

Liszt is the foundation.

Gekic, however, is his own animal.

“Liszt himself said what artists need most is courage,” Gekic said. “You have to play each concert like it’s your last concert ever.”

Most performances of Liszt he’s seen are, by his own admission, lifeless.

“In the past 60 years,” he explained, “the focus shifted from imagination to mechanicality.

“Let me be blunt. People are afraid of hitting wrong notes.”

When it comes to interpreting Liszt, a wild man of 19th century hedonism who was born 200 years ago, Gekic understands the need to come at this music with skill, but spirit, too.

“A sober, conservative reading of Liszt is not something I would pay money for,” SSO conductor Peter Stafford Wilson said. “It sounds like we’ve got the right guy.”

Liszt, after all, was the Hendrix of his time.

“He was one of the first rock stars,” Wilson said. “He was such an amazing piano virtuoso that his concerts were the hottest ticket in Europe. Women just flocked.”

Or as one scholar put it, “His life was a veritable pagan wilderness.”

Gekic himself has a way with the piano.

His bio boasts of a concert recording in which, “audible weeping can be heard among members of the normally reserved Japanese public.”

There’s a Kemal Gekic fan club in Japan, too.

In honor of the Liszt bicentennial, Wittenberg University also will present a free program of Liszt’s work for organ and voice at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Weaver Chapel.

Musicologist Alan Walker, author of the definitive Liszt biography, will provide commentary during Friday’s program.

Maestro Wilson, however, is just steeling himself for Saturday night.

“I’ve heard this guy likes to live on the edge. He’ll try things other pianists won’t try,” Wilson said. “It will be a white-knuckle ride.”

Rock ’n’ roll, baby.

Contact this reporter at amcginn@coxohio.com.

How to go

Who: The Springfield Symphony Orchestra with pianist Kemal Gekic

When: 8 p.m. Saturday

Where: Kuss Auditorium

Ticket info: Visit springfieldsym.org or call (937) 328-3874.

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