Central Washington University Faculty Pianist John Pickett to Perform

CWU faculty member John Pickett will present a recital of music for the piano on Thursday, Feb. 12, at 7 p.m. The program, to be presented in the Music Building?s Concert Hall, will open with Debussy?s ?The Little Shepherd? and the shimmering, impressionistic ?Reflets dans l?eau? (Reflections in the Water), which takes advantage of the sonorities of the piano in ways unimaginable before Debussy. This will be followed by Pickett?s own adaptations of Judith Kleck?s poems, ?Not Easy? and ?Winter Fruit,? sung by new CWU faculty member Gayla Blaisell. Alban Berg?s surprisingly approachable, one-movement piano sonata will conclude the first half of the program. The entire second half will be consist of Brahms? monumental series of variations on a theme by Handel. This work, based on a little tune taken from Handel?s Harpsichord Suite in B flat, is ranked by critics as one of the half-dozen greatest sets of variations ever written. Persons of disability may make arrangements for reasonable accommodation by calling (509) 963-1246 or (for hearing impaired) TDD (509) 963-2143. Media contact: John Pickett, CWU Music Department, (509) 963-1246, pickettj@cwu.edu