Symphony makes dream come true for pianist
William Wolfram will play Tchaikovsky's second concerto this weekend in Peristyle
By SALLY VALLONGO
BLADE STAFF WRITER
Pianist William Wolfram isn't just eager to perform Tchaikovsky's second concerto with the Toledo Symphony tomorrow and Saturday in its final Classics Series concerts for the season.
He's ecstatic.
"This is an absolute dream of mine," he exults by phone from his Manhattan home. "It's weird - I know it so well, but it's as if I will be playing it for the first time.
And many in the audience may be hearing it for the first time, at least as a symphonic piece.
"In the concert world, it's not played much, but it's a staple in ballet," explains Wolfram.
Famed Russian choreographer George Balanchine in 1941 built his beloved Ballet Imperial around the dramatic three movements of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 44.
Created in honor of seminal choreographer Marius Petipa, the original ballet was set in Imperial Russia. The name Ballet Imperial was changed later to Piano Concerto No. 2, and it was made less formal by Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein, founders of the New York City Ballet.
"I got into the circuit of playing Tchaikovsky with ballets. I have played it a ton of times," Wolfram says.
But before, there was always a catch.
"I had to do it the ballet way. I didn't like it much. Ballet tempos are either slower or wildly faster and very straight," he explains.
"I've waited a whole lifetime to do this with an orchestra - without the constraints of the ballet."
So, Toledo listeners, be prepared for a wild ride.
With principal conductor Stefan Sanderling on the podium and concertmaster Kirk Toth and principal cello Martha Reikow in major supporting roles, the concert-opening performances could bring down the house. Also on the weekend program is Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances.
Wolfram, no stranger to local classical music fans, is known for both a vigorous, even headstrong style, and the capability to delicately capture more transparent moments.
He's also known nationally as a ballet pianist.
"There are a lot of pieces for ballet that I've played," he says from his apartment, where he maintains a fast pace between performances, practicing, reading, and surfing the Internet; getting his 12-year-old twin daughters to their various classes, and, occasionally, catching up with his attorney wife.
Among those ballet pieces: Franck's Symphonic Variations and Hindemith's Four Temperaments, both also choreographed by Balanchine.
To look at Wolfram, you might not peg him as a pianist, even less a ballet aficionado. Sometimes, stereotypes ring true; sometimes, they don't.
Tall and muscular, with striking features and aggressively intellectual, Wolfram is part of an extended family of legal eagles, he says.
"Most of the people in my family have been lawyers, except for me," he said, adding, "I read the American Bar Association Journal. I've learned a lot of the most amazing stories are not in the news."
Born on Bastille Day, 1955, in White Plains, N.Y., Wolfram was the only child of much older parents.
When as a preschooler he showed some interest in music - particularly composition - he says his mother and another relative guided him firmly to piano studies.
"They were Great Depression survivors - overly serious. They believed children should get to work and not waste time in frivolous play."
Although young Bill really wanted more play time and freedom, he not only survived the early rigors but thrived.
"It's kind of a miracle that I love music," he said.
A graduate of the Juilliard School and medalist in the Naumberg and Kapell competitions, as well as a major figure in past Tchaikovsky competitions, Wolfram says he's away from home about a third of the days in any year, performing with major orchestras and doing some recording.
In Toledo, Wolfram also will make his second appearance in the symphony's Artists Up Close series, performing Edward Elgar's Piano Quintet at 3 p.m. Sunday on the Peristyle stage.
The Toledo Symphony and pianist William Wolfram will perform at 8 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday in the Toledo Museum of Art Peristyle. Wolfram will return at 3 p.m. Sunday for an Artists Up Close event on the Peristyle stage. Tickets range from $26 to $51 and are available at 419-246-8000 or www.toledosymphony.com.
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Contact Sally Vallongo at: svallongo@theblade.com.
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