Mr. Pandolfi is not only a gifted musician but also a personable and entertaining performer. He shared fascinating information about each piece before he played it; thanks to his explanation, we could picture the sunken Breton cathedral rising above the waves, with the chanting monks and the organ chorale, in Debussy's "La Cathedrale Engloutie." His performances of Debussy's "Clair de Lune" and Chopin's "Nocturne in E-Flat Major" were so exquisite that I had to pause a moment before applauding; I didn't want to break the spell.
In the second half of the program he played three Gershwin preludes, a medley of three Gershwin songs, a Respighi nocturne, a medley of "Phantom of the Opera" songs (during which I could swear he was channeling the fiery 19th-century virtuoso Louis Moreau Gottschalk), a little more Chopin, and even -- during the question-and-answer session -- "O Sole Mio." He had to scratch Gershwin's "Concerto in F" because some of the piano's bass keys were sticking.
I had no idea that the Meeting's piano, normally used just to accompany hymns each First Day, could produce such amazing sound, nor that the meeting house had such nice acoustics. We were sitting in the balcony and had a wonderful vantage point to watch not only Mr. Pandolfi's hands but also the inner workings of the piano.
In response to questions from the audience, Mr. Pandolfi said he lives in both Maryland and Charlotte, NC, but spends most of his time on the road performing. He started playing the piano at age 4 and studied with the same teacher until he went off to the Julliard School. His first exposure to classical music was his father's extensive record collection. (He said when he performs at schools, he has to explain to the kids that LPs were "big CDs.")
It was a wonderful concert, and we also enjoyed the social time and delicious refreshments afterwards with our London Grove friends and West Marlborough neighbors.
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