This weekend, pianist-composer Michael Massey steps onto the St. Albert United Church stage to fundraise for the St. Albert Chamber Music Society.
The Governor General’s Award recipient has been a fixture in Alberta’s classical music scene for 50-plus years as a pianist, conductor, orchestrator, composer and teacher. His most notable accomplishment is as conductor of the Edmonton Youth Orchestra, influencing thousands of young musicians since 1977.
Although a St. Albert resident for close to 48 years, Massey has never played a recital in his hometown. Never one to sit on his laurels, he approached Nancy Watt, founder of St. Albert Chamber Music Society, about contributing a fundraising performance.
He closes the regular season with the 15th Anniversary Fundraiser on Sunday, June 1 at 3 p.m. at St. Albert United Church.
“I haven’t played a recital in eight or nine years, and I asked myself, ‘Am I going to do anymore at my age?’ I had never played a recital in St. Albert, and I decided to give myself a challenge,” said Massey.
“I wanted to help the chamber music society. They’re a good organization and Nancy works so hard. I suggested the recital because it would give me a good incentive to practise.”
The program includes the works of four grandmasters: J. S. Bach, Nikolai Medtner, Frédéric Chopin, and Claude Debussy. Massey also adds his compositions titled Four Birds. It brings to life the trillings of Heron, Dove, Polly (a parrot) and Kingfisher.
Massey launches the concert with a prelude and three Bach sinfonias.
“He was the greatest, the culmination of 300 years of high artistic achievement. He was a genius. Every pianist in the world plays Bach. He was the ultimate master of counterpoint. Bach was never mechanical. There was always that emotional part in his composition,” said Massey.
Following Bach is Medtner’s Sonata Ballade, Op. 27, a composition written during the middle period of his life.
Massey describes Medtner as a religious man and the ballade is a three-movement piece dealing with the light and darkness of the human soul.
“Medtner has been one of my go-to composers in the last 20 years,” he said. “He was out of favour for a long time, but in the late 20th century, he became very popular. He was a friend of Rachmaninoff. His work is rough in style, but it has Rachmaninoff’s intelligence.”
During the recital’s second half, Massey introduces Chopin’s preludes, a mazurka and a nocturne.
“Medtner created huge architectural works. These pieces are short. Chopin was a master at saying something in a short piece,” he said.
Massey’s own Four Birds is drawn from 26 piano pieces he composed. Three pieces will be solo performances except for Heron, which requires five hands. Nancy Watt and Justine Lai will join Massey for this performance.
“Hopefully, my perspective on this music, especially on Medtner's and my music, will be enjoyed, and I hope everyone has a pleasant afternoon.”
Adult tickets are $45, seniors $40 and students $20. They are available online at Eventbrite or in person at Musée Heritage Museum or at the door.
