Jeffrey Siegel is “not a lecturer who plays” but “a concert pianist who talks.” Siegel will perform tonight at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m, the first of four stops at Northwestern of the “Keyboard Conversations” series. The worldwide series has made stops in Chicago for 40 years and at NU for 15 years. Siegel, who grew up in Chicago, has played in symphonies in New York City, London, Berlin and Moscow. Siegel talked about tonight’s show, titled “Chopin for Lovers,” and the inspiration behind the series.
Daily: What is a “keyboard conversation?”
Siegel: It’s a concert with commentary. Every composition on the program is performed in its entirety. What we like to think of as the plus is that prior to the performance of each work on the program, I speak briefly and informally and in a non-technical language about the piece of music. I do this so the listening experience is more than an ear-wash of sound. It’s also much more accessible for people who don’t normally go to concerts and want to give classical music a try.
Daily: What are you going to talk about during the performance?
Siegel: This season we’re celebrating the 400th birthday of (Frederic) Chopin. Each piece on the program is inspired by a different woman in the composer’s love life. I’m not only talking about each piece of music – I’m talking about what’s going in the composer’s life when he writes the piece, and the influence of the woman in his life that brings about the particular piece. I not only talk about the piece of music as a piece of music, but I talk about what’s going on in the composer’s life. It’s very romantic, it’s very personal.
Daily: How did the idea of “Keyboard Conversations” originate?
Siegel: I would meet people who go to concerts who say “I’d like my listening experience to be more than an ear-wash of sound,” and to make the listening for a concertgoer more meaningful than just music going in one ear and out the other. The format of the keyboard conversation is really brought about to address both these listeners: the avid concertgoer and the person who is coming in for the first time. I think the reason the series has been so successful is that the audience is made up of a large sample of both.
