Paul Barnes, an American pianist and chanter, filled the Shigemi Matsumoto Recital Hall with the sounds of a piano and Greek Orthodox chant on Friday, Feb. 8. Barns presented a re-enchantment of music by Philip Glass and a chant recital.
Before the performance began, Barnes came out while the audience applauded in anticipation of the show. Barnes then explained he would be performing a recreation of his Philip Glass recital.
In the first half, Barnes told the audience the show was a reprise of one of his recent performances inside Richard Serra’s sculpture, “Greenpoint,” on the University of Nebraska’s campus. Barnes then played the first song, an epilogue from “Monsters of Grace,” which was a song created by Barnes and Glass.
Barnes’s next work was a transcription of the conclusion to Glass’s opera “Satyagraha.” He described how this piece began his meaningful relationship with Glass’s music. It was the first piece Barnes was given in their initial meeting, which shows its importance to Barnes.
“I thought the performance was interesting. I came to this thinking it was going to be just piano, but I was pleasantly surprised that he had a Greek Orthodox chant.” Kevin Pacheco said, a senior at CSUN. “I wasn’t expecting that, but it was my favorite part.”
After the first half of the Philip Glass recital, Barnes exited the stage to then break. While the audience rumbled with curiosity, Barnes reappeared and explained that he would be doing the Greek Orthodox chant, which he had selected as a theme for the “re-resurrection” of Christ.
A Greek Orthodox chant is the official music of the Greek Orthodox Church, typically chanted by a choir. A big moment in the recital was when Barnes prepared to start his chant. He called out to the crowd to sing for him. Music students in the audience who had been instructed to help him with his chant then sang a low hum, and the group hummed together while Barnes chanted.
“I especially liked the piece that was directly after the chanting,” said Skylar Dean, a student from the University of California, Santa Barbara. “I liked how it was very smooth and then there would be a tone change indicated by very sharp notes playing over and over.”
Barnes had previously explained that this was meant to represent divine inspiration.
Throughout the close of the recital, Barnes played his final few songs on the piano. The audience was enthralled as he played exciting pieces that filled the auditorium with his musical talent.
