OVERNIGHT REVIEW: Organist Hector Olivera at Disney Hall — a hoot and a holler

By Robert D. Thomas Music Critic Pasadena Star-News/San Gabriel Valley Tribune/Whittier Daily News

Even those who had never heard of Hector Olivera should have had a clue that last night at Walt Disney Concert Hall wasn’t going to be your grandfather’s organ recital by looking at the title of what turned out to be the final piece: Introduktion, Präludium und Fugue über “das Strassenbahn-Lied” and realizing that the section in quotes translates as The Trolley Song, made famous by Judy Garland in the 1944 movie Meet Me in St. Louis.

That sense of puckish humor permeated most of the recital, but what was even more apparent was how thoroughly the Buenos Aires native enjoyed playing the Disney Hall organ. He told the audience, “I heard Cherry Rhodes play this instrument at the in 2004 and never dreamed I’d get the chance. Thank you, God!”

Not since Terry Riley appeared at Disney Hall in 2008 and dubbed its organ “Hurricane Mama” has anyone reveled in the collaborative creation of Manuel Rosales, Glatter-Götz Orgelbau and Frank Gehry like Olivera did tonight. He noted a “W” (for Walt) in the splayed mixture of organ pipes. He also pulled and pushed stops and pistons almost nonstop and uncovered notes, bells, horns and other sounds probably not heard since the instrument was installed in 2004. For Olivera, this “King of Instruments” was a boisterous monarch.

Olivera was a humorous raconteur with a charming accent, making the evening far more than just someone playing notes. He acknowledged the audience, even those in the upper levels on the sides, and occasionally conducted himself while playing.

The first half of the program, which was devoted to various kinds of “prelude, theme and variations” pieces, began with a Bach chorale prelude, Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier, from which he moved without pause into Liszt’s Variations on “Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen,” both of which were written while the composers were Weimar residents, albeit about 150 years apart. In the Liszt, Olivera displayed a wide range of registrations creating sounds that ranged from ultra-soft to massive as he kept adding layer after layer of stops and volume.

Franck’s Prelude, Fugue and Variations and Bach’s Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 582, concluded the pre-intermission portion. Olivera introduced the former with a story about how the prelude became part of his audition before he was admitted to The Juilliard School in 1965. For the latter, he said he hoped that his playing would please Johann Sebastian, which it undoubtedly did, although Bach would never have recognized the sounds that Olivera pulled out of the instrument.

After intermission, Olivera began with a crisp performance of 20th century composer Hans Friedrich Michaeelsen’s Toccata, Canzona and Fugue on “Es sungen drei Engel” and then moved into three improvisations, beginning with a gentle, lyrical Poeme “Sur l’arc-en-ciel,” better known as Over the Rainbow.

Dr. Cherry Rhodes, internationally renowned organist and a teacher at the USC Thornton School of Music, then handed Olivera a sealed envelope with a paper containing seven notes, “without metrics or tonality,” as Olivera explained to the audience. He looked at the paper, chuckled, played the notes and then — appearing like Dr. Frankenstein (or is that “Fronkensteen”) in his studio — spent a few moments integrating stops with pistons. What followed was a 14-minute tour-de-force with the all sorts of variations wrapping around the theme. It was a hoot.

However, even that paled when compared with wild Trolley Song improv. Olivera began winsomely but gradually morphed into a gigantic mass of sound with elements of Messiaen, Vierne and others folded in, including a reprise of the Bach Passacaglia and Fugue from the first half. The audience was on its collective feet at the end, deservedly. The Disney Hall organ is probably still recuperating.

No encores were played … or needed. ______

(c) Copyright 2010, Robert D. Thomas. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.

Additional notes and information concerning the March 14th performance ...

From Mr. Manual Rosales - the organ builder:

"Your visit and recital were a memorable high-point in the history of the WDCH organ and recital series. Personally, I was pleasantly exhausted with your preparations and highly exhilarated with the results. You are the current living MASTER OF THE ORGAN AND MUSIC MAKING !"