When I first heard that our class was going to a piano recital, I wasn’t really sure how that would really play into “the Arts of New York.” But once I sat in the audience and saw Ms. Hewitt come out with such finesse and confidence, I knew that this was going to be a very interesting show. Ms. Hewitt started out by explaining the “Art of Fugue” and played different parts of it so the audience could understand the specialty and history behind each piece. I thought this was very helpful because I was able to appreciate the music much more. Coming from a not so musical background, I was very skeptical about listening to someone play the piano for 90 minutes. Surprisingly enough, I did very much enjoy the pieces, and it also got me very excited when I was able to identify the segment Professor Minter played in class and hummed to us.
When Ms. Hewitt first walked onto the stage she had this beautiful dress on, so glittery. Her dress code just added onto her confidence on the stage. The way Ms. Hewitt brought herself up to the stage and presented herself was very awe striking.
As the recital went on I would daze off, not because I wasn’t entertained but simply because the music was just so soothing and peaceful. I felt like I was being played a lullaby. What I felt was very captivating was her hand gestures. When she would raise her hand up it showed the intensity of the music, and I could see how powerful the music was on her face. Ms. Hewitt would jump in and out of reality when she quenches her thirst and takes a breather. Though the pieces weren’t that jumpy, Ms. Hewitt’s facial expressions made the recital much more exciting.
The theatre itself was not that big, but what really caught my attention was the writing on the wall. There were different biblical names up on the wall that I thought was interesting considering we were at a theatre that didn’t have any affiliations with a church environment. The audience as a whole was a very mixed group of people there were people my age, older and much younger. I thought it was pretty interesting how such a diverse group of people come together to watch this recital. There was no age distinction, we were all there just to enjoy Ms. Hewitt’s talent.
This recital made me think back to the time I used to play the clarinet and I would be really nervous when my solo would come up. I saw myself in Ms. Hewitt but I wish I had the confidence Ms. Hewitt brought to the stage, and the control she took over the audience. Instead of my parents giving me the standing ovation, the whole audience went crazy as soon as she put her hands down and did a very deep bow. I could see how relieved she was after doing such a difficult piece.
