Gabriela Montero

I attended the performance given by Gabriela Montero at Glenn Gould Studio.
I wasn't really into the first part of the programme. Don't get me wrong, I love Brahms and Beethoven, but the selection of piano pieces from opus 118 and the Waldstein sonata respectively aren't my favorite.
Anyway, the real reason I decided to go to the performance was for the second part where "Improvisations on themes or pieces suggested by audience members (Please be prepared to sing the theme if Ms. Montero does not know the piece)". This is definitely a talent that I don't have but am completely in awe of. I wanted to hear first hand just how creative and talented this woman was and the extent of her improvisational skills.
The first suggestion from the audience was Autumn Leaves. Ms. Montero asked the gentleman who suggested the song to sing the melody and he whistled it instead. Some other audience members hummed along. She quickly played the melody and added a simple accompaniment and played it a couple times for the benefit of the audience (and herself?). I don't know if by that point she already knew in which style she was going to improvise, or exactly how her new piece would sound, but she took a moment to compose herself and then started her piece. I thought it started off as a ragtime piece, but I think it was actually more jazzy in feel and evolved into a bluesy piece. It was very lounge music in feel (well, actually all of these thoughts are just my take on her pieces and the style that I, personally, associated with them) and was so complete...I could have listened to her spin that piece all night. I think I'm really into lounge-type music. Total chill-out vibe where I can sit and drink my non-alky drink. The piece was so complete. Not just a little ditty with a single voice harmony and basic chordal accompaniment, it was both interesting and complex. I was already looking forward to the next suggestions to come.
Improv suggestion two was Peter's theme from Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf. I was surprised that Ms. Montero needed the melody to be sung to her, and because of how quiet the humming was, so didn't quite get it accurately before she started her piece. Seriously, I can't believe that she didn't know the piece. Anyway, her creation seemed to be very Chopin-esque. Also impressive.
Suggestion number three: the last movement of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. Although she asked the melody to be hummed, she did know the piece and just needed a little bit of a refresher. I almost died when she turned it into a Bach contrapuntal piece. Daaaaaaaamn!
Next up, Hey Jude in the style of Debussy. The Debussy then turned into a style that I call battement tendu. I don't know why, I just imagined it being perfect for a battement tendu exercise. The piece then morphed into a tango. The transitions were seamless and of course I was absolutely gobsmacked.
The next suggestion was a sort of tango that I didn't catch the name of (although Ms. Montero immediately knew the melody which sounded very familiar to me). She said that the suggestion was to play it as a tango, but as the piece was already a tango she asked if she could do something different. She also said that she didn't really know how the piece would go, so I guess the improvisation is a fluid thing that just evolves as she plays. Her creation was a Chopin/Debussy combo that just tugged at the heart strings. I love dramatic pieces.
Unfortunately there was only one more creation left for the night and the suggestion was La Bamba. My description of her piece is that of a Latin sonatina but ending as a fun ragtime piece.
So incredibly impressive. I could have listened to an entire programme of improv. There's another performance tonight and I would highly encourage anyone who can rush downtown to attend. At least for the second hour.

UPDATE: the tango piece was Albeniz' Tango in D