Wednesday, September 11, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
13
Grand piano enlivens the desert playa at Summer Lake
Hunter Noack and his nine-foot Steinway grand piano came to Playa in Summer Lake for an outdoor concert.
PHOTO BY TL BROWN
By T. Lee Brown
Correspondent
It9s not unusual to hear
music outside. Guitars and
ukuleles pop up around camp-
fires. String quartets cluster on
lawns at outdoor weddings.
What9s more unusual: a classi-
cal piano concert en plein air.
A recent performance of
pianist Hunter Noack and
the <In a Landscape= proj-
ect brought this experience
to the Playa residency site in
Summer Lake. Along a desert
lakebed, at the foot of a stern
desert mountain, Playa offered
an oasis.
Au d ien ces, co mp lete
with kids and picnic baskets,
sprawled out on lush lawns.
In front of a picturesque pond
stood a flatbed truck trailer.
Upon the flatbed stood a
Steinway grand piano.
Audience members were
given wireless headphones.
Noack invited people to walk
around the grounds and prom-
enade alongside the vast des-
ert playa, carrying the music
with them.
He opened with Chopin9s
<Grand Polonaise,= its liquid
grace interplaying with the
rustling of a strong breeze
through trees and cattails (for
those who left their head-
phones off). The audience
was encouraged to sit by the
pond during a water-inspired
piece, with the music trickling
and burbling. During Frederic
Rzewski9s <Winnsboro Cotton
Mill Blues,= Noack invited
folks to stretch out underneath
the piano.
Noack is from Central
Oregon. He grew up in
Sunriver, though he went
away to attend boarding
school at Interlochen Arts
Academy. At home, he said,
<I would go fly-fishing with
my dad, duck-hunting; we did
most of our hunting and fish-
ing along the Deschutes and in
the Cascades.=
He spent eight years living
in cities including London,
where he earned his master9s
degree at Guildhall School
of Music and Drama. Noack
said, <When I came back to
Oregon, I wasn9t planning on
staying. I was only here wait-
ing for my visa to go back to
England.=
Instead, <I fell back in
love with Oregon and these
landscapes.= Now based in
Portland, Noack enjoys travel-
ing the whole state for perfor-
mances. <I still hunt and fish,
and try to get out as much as
I can.=
Noack played fluidly,
selecting compositions that
ranged the whole keyboard
and showcased his nimble
fingers and responsive instru-
ment. Halfway through the
evening, guest vocalist Katie
Harman Ebner from Klamath
Falls animated the stage with
song. In a friendly way, she
contextualized each piece,
educating the roving listeners
and rapt picnickers alike.
She started with an intrigu-
ing piece by Amy Beach, the
acclaimed early American
composer and pianist. Next,
Debussy9s <C9est l9extase=
rolled sensually over the
undulating grasses. Ebner9s
set closed with the dramatic
<Les chemins de l9amour=
by Poulenc, punctuated by
wild geese flying close, as
though choreographed into the
performance.
Headphones were nec-
essary to hear vocals and
announcements, but optional
for the piano alone. <When
I first started, I wasn9t sure
about the technology; I
thought it was maybe gim-
micky or something,= Noack
said. He has grown to appreci-
ate the sense of intimacy they
can bring.
See PIANO on page 25
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Sisters Science
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Brian Odell Band
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Fri., Oct. 25 • 8 p.m.
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302 E. Main | 541-815-9122
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998 E. Black Butte Ave. Seed to Table Farm Dinner
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Cork Cellars Live Music with Cuppa Joe & the Whychus
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175 N. Larch St.
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Tues., Sept. 24 • 6-9 p.m.
Sisters Saloon Poker Night 7 p.m. Every Wednesday! $20.
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The Lodge in Sisters Passport Dinner 3 p.m. Enjoy a free
demo of food from India, play trivia, win prizes; and those who
qualify may earn credit toward residency. Call 541-549-5634.
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Fir Street Park Sisters Farmers Market 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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Sisters Saloon Open Mic Night 9 to 11 p.m. For additional
information call 541-549-7427 or go to sisterssaloon.net.
Sisters Saloon Trivia Night 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sign-up is
at 6:15 p.m. Free, every Tuesday! For additional information
call 541-549-7427 or go to sisterssaloon.net.
Sisters Saloon Poker Night 7 p.m. Every Wednesday! $20.
For information call 541-549-7427 or go to sisterssaloon.net.
Cork Cellars Tasty Thursday Hosted Wine Tasting
SEPT 5 to 7 p.m. For additional information call 541-549-2675 or
go online to corkcellarswinebistro.com.
19
THUR Sisters Saloon Karaoke Night 9 p.m. to midnight. Every
Thursday, no cover! For additional information call
541-549-7427 or go to sisterssaloon.net.
SEPT
20
FRI
Paulina Springs Books Author Presentation with
Norma Holmes 6:30 p.m. The author will present from her
art book, “Land Escapes.” For more info call 541-549-0866 or
go to paulinasprings.com.
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