UWS Piano Performance Major, Casey Rusco, performed his Senior Recital on Wednesday, December 5th in the Webb Recital Hall.
The works in the recital were arranged in chronological order, starting with Bach’s French Suite No. 5 in G Major. The suite consisted of five short dances, each with a distinct style. Although this piece was primarily written for the harpsichord, Rusco was still able to bring Bach’s ideas to life with brilliant clarity.
No piano player I have seen has looked more calm and elegant than Rusco when performing Sonata in B-flat by Mozart. Many times it looked like he was barely touching the keys while effortlessly playing through each movement.
The second half started out with Frederic Chopin’s Nocturne in E-flat major. This was when we began seeing the more intense side of Rusco. One couldn’t help but get taken in by the heart-wrenching harmonies brought forth with great integrity and passion.
Next was Rhapsody in G Minor by Johannes Brahms, appropiately continuing the growth of tension in the second half of the recital. Rusco had captured the audience and wasn’t letting go.
Rusco stated before playing his final piece that he had been studying under Alex Sandor, as well as Beth Gilbert and Matthew Faerber, for eleven years and thanked them for all that they had taught him. He then showed off his virtuosity that he had gained from those eleven years when he played Toccata by Aram Khachaturian. The piece was very intense as well as extremely flashy throughout making it a perfect closer for his wonderful recital. After he finished playing, the audience was instantly on their feet. Rusco, as well as his teachers, should be very proud of his performance.
Superior Time
