Call him Mr. Versatility.
From Mozart to Mendelssohn to Muhly, pianist Jeffrey Kahane has made a career of traversing a wide swath of repertoire.
He turned his attention Friday to one of his favorite composers, George Gershwin, joining the Colorado Symphony for the composer’s Concerto in F.
It was a highlight of a program showing multiple faces of American music, from the European-rooted romanticism of Samuel Barber to the 21st-century boisterousness of Jennifer Higdon.
Gershwin’s famed 1925 concerto adroitly manages to marry the freedom and sassiness of jazz with the rigor and structure of classical music, and so must any performer who takes it on.
Taking a break from his conducting duties as the symphony’s music director and taking full advantage of this chance to focus just on his piano, Kahane successfully achieved that tricky balance with a spunky, spirited performance.
He was in prime form as he made this music frolic, sashay and swing and, at times, seemed to transform his Steinway grand into a rollicking saloon piano. Almost hidden in all the fun is no shortage of technical challenges, and he handled them with aplomb.
As a well-deserved encore, Kahane offered a reflective, moving version of “America the Beautiful.”
Opening the second half was Higdon’s big little piece, “Loco” (2004), which is meant to evoke what she calls a “crazy train.” It is a supercharged, pulsing work with a strong percussive drive and its own touches of jazziness.
Then came the evening’s second main event, Leonard Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from the 1958 Broadway musical, “West Side Story.” It is packed with some of the most recognizable, quintessentially American music ever written.
Guest conductor Larry Rachleff, who capably handled all the evening’s diverse selections, was at his best here, bringing suitable energy, punch and sensuality to this work.
Opening the program was Barber’s Overture to “The School for Scandal.”
The concert will be repeated at 7:30 p.m. today and 2:30 p.m. Sunday in Boettcher Concert Hall.
Kyle MacMillan: 303-954-1675 or kmacmillan@denverpost.com
