Royce Hall has a tradition of naming its pianos. On Tuesday, Russian pianist Denis Matsuev will be performing on a nine-foot-long Steinway piano that goes by the name of Ruby.
“Years ago somebody started naming them after gemstones, so Ruby is our gem,” said Teri Meredyth, the house piano technician at Royce Hall.
The recital program will include piano sonatas by Franz Schubert, Ludwig van Beethoven and Edvard Grieg, as well as three movements from Igor Stravinsky’s ballet “Petrushka,” arranged for piano. Other pieces that will be performed are Schubert’s “Piano Sonata No. 14 in A Minor, Op. 143, D. 784,” Beethoven’s “Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57, “˜Appassionata'” and Grieg’s “Piano Sonata in E minor, Op. 7.”
Maria Shclover, founder and president of Maestro Artist Management, the company presenting Matsuev at the show, says that he has a very unique interpretation of the pieces he is playing.
“He has great approach, you’d think that he’s very masculine and very strong, but then he’s playing some … technique that shows his very soft touch,” Shclover said.
According to Shclover, the event would be beneficial for those who are learning to play the piano.
“I think it’s important for students to see how it should be done. … It’s a celebration of music, even people who are not completely into the classical music … would really leave with a positive feeling from the concert,” Shclover said.
Rojean Kashanchi, a fourth-year communication studies student, has studied classical piano for 15 years and considers it to be a great outlet when she is stressed.
“You kind of get into a trance listening to it, you get lost in your own thoughts, and I feel like you’re almost able to meditate and to enjoy it. … I think it’s great we’re bringing (classical music) to a college campus where it’s accessible to people our age, so students can earn a better appreciation for it.”
Shclover also claims that Matsuev is an easygoing person, albeit a workaholic.
“He’s not one of those artists with the “˜I’m a diva star, I’m not going to talk to public,'” she said.
Meredyth, who has worked at Royce Hall for 23 seasons, is responsible for tuning and servicing pianos for performances. According to Meredyth, Royce Hall is one of the best venues in the Southern California area.
“It has really warm acoustics, it’s designed in such a way that the sound travels very well and quickly to all parts of the hall,” Meredyth said.
Matsuev has previously toured the United States and has performed with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In addition, he has also traveled in Europe, Asia and Israel, playing with the Berliner Philharmoniker, the London Symphony Orchestra and the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia.
“He loves to be out there,” Shclover said. “He has enormous energy, he cannot sit still, literally like a 4 year old, if he has free time, he goes and explores. … I just hope that people will be enthusiastic about Denis being there.”