Florida Keys Concert Association held its second concert, featuring pianist Frederic Moyer, on Jan. 25 at Coral Shores High School’s Performing Arts Center.
Sponsored by Centennial Bank, Moyer was excited to be back on a stage playing to a live audience, as the pandemic cancelled many concerts. Moyer intentionally selected a program of celebratory and upbeat music.
Moyer is a multi-talented pianist who is well known to local concert goers. As Norman Werbner, FLKCA program director, said, “The pianist is one of our favorites with many repeat performances. He plays classic and jazz music in a new way – in Fred’s invention of his performance.”
Moyer redefined his piano recitals using his invented MoyerCam that allows the audience to view his hands and keyboard from any seat in the hall. Additionally, his USolo software allows him to play his recitals with a synchronized orchestral accompaniment.
He started the concert with Fantasy in F-sharp Minor by Felix Mendelssohn. The composer wrote this piece, inspired by Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. Frederic Chopin’s Ballade No.3 is an unfolding to the ears story about seduction and punishment. Fred’s grandfather, David Moyer, who at 9 years of age, was a prodigy and played for Teddy Roosevelt in the White House, Fred said. The Ballade is based on Adam Mickiewicz’s poem about a mysterious lake and a man falling in love with a mysterious being that presents itself in an image of a beautiful woman. Chopin’s Waltz No.5, a grand waltz brilliant, ended the first half of the concert.
In the second half, Fred played Piano Concerto No.1 by Piotr Ilyitch Tchaikovsky. As Fred said, “The idea of playing Tchaikovsky came from Norman, FLKCA program director. In the Concerto, the piano competes with a whole orchestra. It’s Mount Olympus for us, pianists. Think of ballet. People dancing to this music.” Fred created orchestra audio to fit this contest.
Before playing the Concerto, Moyer told a story about Tchaikovsky. The composer was unsure of himself at 35 years old when he wrote the piece to a friend Nicolai Rubenstein. In Fred’s words: “After playing it to Nicolai, there was a gaping silence in the room. After a while, Nicolai said that everything was primitive and hard to play. Piotr was insulted and replied to Nicolai that he is not changing a note and rededicated the Concerto. Until now, the Concerto is one of the most liked musical piece in the world.
For an encore, Moyer played a preview for next year. It was an uplifting jazz trio to a song Oh, What a Beautiful Morning, by Rodgers and Hammerstein from OKLAHOMA.
Barbara Koch, a season ticket holder said: “I love Fred Moyer. He always teaches me something about the music that I didn’t know.”
The next concert will welcome Lysander Piano Trio on Monday, Jan. 31 at Marathon High School and Tuesday, Feb. 1 at Coral Shores High School. Both concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at the door and online. For more information look at FLKCA.com
