Ecstatic Music Festival presents: Timo Andres + Gabriel Kahane. Photo Credit: Kaufman Center

This show at the Merkin Concert Hall was two thumbs up with ease.  From the crisp sounds offered by Steinway (a popular piano manufacturer), both Timo Andres and Gabriel Kahane utilized their playing skills to shed light to the legendary Charles Ives. 

Born in 1874, Ives passed away in 1954, but this performance truly shows that his creations will live on.   The two musicians played both originals and modified versions of Ive’s pieces.  Despite the few but noticeable times where one musician had to restart a song from the top, the continuity and grace of all the pieces created a masterpiece.  The use of the electric and acoustic pianos simultaneously created a funk-like sound.  The funk-like sound is a unique twist to Charles Ives acoustic piano compositions.  The vocals accompanied the melody well, and showed how multi-talented both these musicians really are.   The show was longer than an hour, but did not seem to struggle keeping the listener intrigued.

After hear the two musicians interpretations of Ive’s work, it is clear that they are off to a great start in their musical endeavors.