Ryan ChartrandAccomplished pianist and music department chair W. Terrence Spiller will take to the Spanos Theatre stage at 8 tonight for a benefit recital.
Spiller said this recital in particular is different than those he’s done in the past because he “can choose to play whatever (he) wants.” Spiller said this year he has a “smorgasbord of repertoire” that includes works by Robert Schumann, Francis Poulenc and Sergei Rachmaninoff.
Choosing which pieces to play can be a somewhat difficult task at times, he said, because he must consider how to achieve a certain musical balance throughout the recital. Not all pieces should be bombastic or – on the other end of the spectrum – too soft and demure.
The program will include Schumann’s “Arabesque in C Major,” Op. 18, “Fantasy in C Major,” Op. 17, and Poulenc’s “Les Soirées de Nazelles.” Ending the program will be Rachmaninoff’s “Liebesleid” and “Liebesfreud,” transcriptions of pieces by violinist Fritz Kreisler.
Spiller said he chose these particular pieces because “there needs to be some variety of style and language, and these pieces fit together.”
To prepare for the concert, Spiller said he practiced a lot. Interestingly enough, he hasn’t performed any of these pieces before and had decided this year he would choose an entirely new collection of pieces to play.
Spiller’s main goal for this event is to “enjoy playing the pieces and hopefully have the audience enjoy them as well.”
All proceeds from the recital will go toward the Cal Poly Music Department Fund. The recital is sponsored by the Music Department and College of Liberal Arts. Tickets to the recital are $6 for students and senior citizens and $10 for the public.