Moving his fingers delicately across the keys, the recital hall filled with quiet stillness, tension gradually building as conflict arose in the musical narrative. Performing an original arrangement, the pianist drew a profound sense of melancholy from the crowd.
Gregory Allen, an internationally acclaimed pianist and professor at Butler School of Music, performed his own piano arrangement of Bach’s organ piece “Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor, BWV 582,” on Sunday, Oct. 5. Throughout his career, Allen performed on international stages, in recital halls and teaching studios, impacting classical music lovers and students alike. Allen’s recent faculty recital highlighted not only his technical precision but also his creative interpretation.
“Most people think Baroque music is strictly music,” Allen said. “(They think) there’s no story, there’s no narrative. And I disagree. I think there’s a real narrative, so I played with a lot of liberties.”
Before his recital, Allen said although other arrangements existed, he wanted to tell his own narrative while preserving the simplicity in Baroque music.
“All the (arrangements) that I know of are all overwritten,” Allen said. “They’re too virtuosic. So I made my (own) arrangement. It’s not easy, but it’s not so obviously flashy.”
Allen, a professor of piano for over 50 years, said his piano journey started at the age of five.
“I feel totally privileged to come from a musical family,” Allen said. “Both my parents were in music, and my dad was a band leader in the Air Force. My older sister was a singer.”
Allen said both his performance and teaching methods are informed by an amalgamation of technicality and expressiveness from pianists John Perry and Leon Fleisher. Justin Sun, a music performance freshman studying under Professor Allen, said Allen’s guidance shapes how he plays piano.
“He’s very meticulous and able to correct many of the technical issues (I’d have),” Sun said. “And musically, he’s very talented. He knows what he’s trying to convey.”
Gregory Eaton, a lecturer at the Butler School of Music, said Allen made a “tremendous impact” at UT.
“I know his students love him and respect him,” Eaton said. “His knowledge is very broad and thorough, and he’s imparted that to the people who studied with him and to anyone who’s consulted with him.”
Though Allen is on modified service, he still teaches and impacts 13 students.
“I love what I’m doing,” Allen said. “Even though I’m not performing much anymore, I still practice and look for new repertoire.”
