Next up in Alarm Will Sound's John Adams concert, a piano arrangement by John Orfe of Short Ride in a Fast Machine. I don't think of the orchestral version as virtuosic but the piano version definitely is. This rendition also provides extra clarity but at the expense of timbral complexity. Joshua Kosman liked the performance:
There is no logical explanation for Orfe's ability to cram so many notes into the span of 88 piano keys, or to deliver them with such fearsome zest and panache. But there he was, banging through the music like Liszt paraphrasing Bellini, and turning a little curtain-raiser into a full-strength hair-raiser. It was breathtaking.
prior kosman review of russian national orchestra playing short ride. aworks posts on short ride
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