Big Sound, Small Space: Pipe and Key Brings Grand Orchestral Power to La Grange
We music lovers in Fayette County are in for a real treat as the new Colorado Valley Chamber Players present Pipe and Key, a critically acclaimed piano and organ duo featuring pianist Yvonne Chen and organist Yuri McCoy. Mark your calendars for Saturday, Oct. 3 at 3 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church in La Grange. Artistic Director Miles Gillette-Bockhorn tells us this third CVCP concert promises an adventurous program that recasts grand orchestral scores for an intimate setting.
As we all know, the classical music world loves a good symphony orchestra. The symphonic voice is an absolute marvel of color and scale, capable of summoning up unmatched walls of sound. The catch, of course, is logistics. You can’t just pack up a full symphony orchestra and haul it off to a smaller community, no matter how much we might yearn to experience these masterworks close to home.
Long before the invention of portable CD players—remember them?—or digital streaming, musicians solved this conundrum through transcription. The pipe organ, with its multi-layered manuals and vast palette of string, reed, and flute stops, is practically an orchestra unto itself. Pair that with the brilliance and agility of a masterful pianist, and you unlock a whole new dimension of music.
Forming the heartbeat of the duo are two incredible talents. Yuri McCoy, a graduate of Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music lauded by Gramophone for his “rare virtuosity,” approaches the organ as a dynamic engine for symphonic color. Right alongside him is Taiwanese-American pianist Yvonne Chen, an alumna of The Juilliard School and a fellow graduate of Rice University, whose imaginative playing has made her a prominent figure in the classical scene. Together, they create pure magic by distilling massive symphony hall forces into a vibrant dialogue.
The upcoming program is a total masterclass in sound. Franz Liszt’s fiery Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 opens the window of Romanticism, transforming pianistic fireworks into a theatrical tour de force. Then there is Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24 in c minor, which strips away the conventional lightness of the Classical era to reveal a stormy, operatic intensity. Alexander Tsfasman’s 1945 Jazz Suite blends classical rigor with 20th-century syncopated swing, showcasing the playful versatility of both performers.
Naturally, the piece I am most anticipating is Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, usually backed by a full orchestra. Here, the entire score is channeled through a single pipe organ working alongside the piano. It’s fascinating to hear the organ tackle the job, using specialized stops to mimic everything from the breathy warmth of the woodwinds to the blare of the brass and the rumble of the timpani. The organist becomes a one-person powerhouse, engaging in a thrilling musical conversation with the piano.
And you have to love the backstory on this one. You know that famous opening of Rhapsody in Blue—that iconic, wailing clarinet glissando? It was originally written by Gershwin as a simple, unadorned scale. During a rehearsal, the orchestra’s clarinetist, Ross Gorman, decided to stretch and bend the notes as a playful joke. Gershwin loved the effect so much that he insisted it stay in the piece, turning an off-the-cuff prank into one of the most recognizable intros in music history.
When McCoy and Chen take the stage on Oct. 3, they’ll be tapping into a rich, centuries-old tradition of bringing grand orchestral vision down to earth.
They prove you don’t need a hundred musicians to move an audience—just two master instrumentalists willing to reimagine the boundaries of sound. Best of all, admission is completely free for this concert only, thanks to generous benefactors Joanne Gillette and Dr. Edward Moss. Tickets are usually $20. This offering will provide an unforgettable afternoon of world-class chamber music.
Be there. I know I will. Tickets required (free) at www.cvchamberplayers.org/ events.