This past Monday, August 28, was the fourth Monday of the month, the day the Musician’s Club of Women hosts its monthly concert in the Cultural Center’s magnificent Preston Bradley Hall.  This August concert featured Esther Nyberg at the piano.  Amongst many other accolades, Nyberg is the recipient of the Musician’s Club of Women Farwell Trust Award.  The Club makes performance opportunities such as the monthly Cultural Center recital available to its award recipients.

Nyberg played Beethoven first, the Piano Sonata in A Major – a fun and lively work full of repeating themes: a classic sonata.  Beethoven’s sonatas can be moody, but Nyberg kept this one light.  By the end she had warmed to the somewhat challenging venue (children and comings and goings can impact the room) and was on top of her game.

The second piece was from Issac Albeniz’s Iberia, which Wikipedia informs me is the crowning achievement in the composer’s oeuvre.  Albeniz was influenced by the Andalusian folk music of his home country, Spain.  This piece was my first exposure to his work and I enjoyed it; Nyberg played very well, teasing out the subtleties and dynamics of the piece.

The final work was Nikolai Kapustin’s Opus 41 – Variations.  Kapustin writes jazz – Nyberg clearly enjoys the genre, and was at her best during the piece.  The work was approachable and fun, a crowd pleaser that’s also a challenge to execute – a fitting finale.

Next month’s free concert, on September 25, is violinist Alexandra Switala.

Thanks for reading.

Ryan