Music Institute to Present Pianist Matt Hagle in JESTERS AND GARGOYLES

The Music Institute of Chicago will welcome faculty pianist Matthew Hagle for "Jesters and Gargoyles: Humor, Imagination, and Virtuosity in the Piano Repertoire," a program that explores what happens when a great composer's imagination takes a strange turn.

Each of the works on this program has a streak of humor, oddity, or capriciousness in its makeup, turning the structure and discipline of traditional classical forms and styles on its head. The wily and surprising humor of Beethoven's Sonata No. 16 in G Major leads to a more chaotic picture in Bartok's Suite Op. 14 and Alkan's Le Festin d'Esope, finishing with Chopin's intense and exciting Scherzi.

Hagle shared, "For me, some of these pieces have the feeling that I get when I'm watching an improv comedian or actor, or even having a conversation with someone with a lively imagination. The ideas and emotions change quickly and come at you from strange angles, all of a sudden. There's something very energizing about it."

Performance Details

Chicago Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. RENT (Highland Park Players)

7.2% of votes

2. HAIRSPRAY (Uptown Music Theater of Highland Park)

7.1% of votes

3. DREAMGIRLS (The Drama Group)

6.5% of votes

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