SHULGOLD: Painting by musical numbers

Artist to commit Strauss to canvas at Phil's opener

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Music and the visual arts have been kissing cousins for centuries. Uncountable composers have created works inspired by paintings, not to mention the lives of artists.

But tonight's 50th season-opening concert by the Boulder Philharmonic promises a twist on that age-old sym- biotic relationship. In this case, a painter will create a work inspired by a musical composition.

Boulder artist Nyla Witmore will set up her easel on the Macky Auditorium stage next to the Phil's cellos and basses and create an abstract painting as music director Michael Butterman leads the orchestra in Strauss' Death and Transfiguration.

"It will be like singing a duet, harmonizing on the spot in a split- second," said Witmore. Most in her field would shun the idea of painting in public. Who wants to have someone peeking over their shoulder while they work?

"Actually, I've done that before," she replied. "Mostly working on streets, with people stopping to watch. That's one reason I was nominated for this by Gary Zeff (executive director of the Boulder- area Open Studios program)."

What Zeff hadn't realized, Witmore added, is that the artist has a lengthy background in music: She studied piano for 12 years. And that will prove a decided advantage, she said.

"It's almost like I was born to this, like I'm playing music when I paint - but in a different way, of course."

Besides the Strauss, tonight's concert features two art-related works: Respighi's Botticelli Triptych and a new arrangement of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition by the Phil's principal tuba, Michael Allen.

After she received the invitation in January to brush up on her Strauss, Witmore sat with the orchestra at rehearsals earlier in the year.

"I painted to Korngold's Theme and Variations and Grieg's Piano Concerto just to make sure I'd be comfortable," she said.

Witmore was happy with the results. "I felt the music spill into me and travel down my arm. My hand movements were like I was playing the piano."

She'll often work in her studio with music playing in the background, but the notion of working to live music, and in front of 2,000 concertgoers no less, is quite a departure.

To permit everyone to watch Witmore at work, a video camera will project the progress of her 3- foot-by-3-foot canvas onto a large screen above the orchestra.

How does one prepare for such an unusual performance? There is a battle plan, she said.

"The Phil gave me a recording (of the Strauss), and I played it over and over. I did paint to it - and I loved the result. I will be at the rehearsal, but once onstage, the memory of those earlier paintings will be erased."

She decided to use an assortment of six colors for her abstract interpretation, choosing cool blues and greens early on, switching to hot reds and yellows as the music builds to its glorious ending of transfiguration.

Witmore said she'd be more worried about the event if she were asked to create a realistic painting. "With that, you'd have to plan your attack, but with abstract, you can let the painting tell you where it goes."

It's all about the moment, she said. "A composer always begins by staring at a blank page. What does he do to start it? The same with a painter - you can't always know where it's going to take you."

And what will be the fate of her visual interpretation of the Strauss tone poem? It might end up for sale, she said.

"If I like the result, I may have a silent auction, with half the money going to the Boulder Phil and half going to Open Studios (Witmore is one of the 141 participants)."

Not that she's worried about the quality of her work.

"It's not about the finished product. It's about the process."

The 50th season

All Boulder Philharmonic concerts are led by Michael Butterman (unless otherwise noted) at Macky Auditorium, University of Colorado. Information: 303-449-1343 or boulderphilorg.

• Today (7:30 p.m.): music by Respighi, Mussorgsky/Allen, Strauss

• Nov. 3: music by Gonzalez, Gershwin, Brahms and Hindemith, with the Marcus Roberts Trio

• Nov. 23 to 25: The Nutcracker with Boulder Ballet (Richard Oldberg, conductor)

• Jan. 27: "Alien Encounter" family concert

• Feb. 2: music of The Beatles

• Feb. 16: music from the movies

• March 22: music by Glass, Prt and Rachmaninoff, with Lemon Sponge Cake Contemporary Ballet

• April 26: music inspired by Shakespeare, with members of the St. Martin's Chamber Choir and the Colorado Shakespeare Festival

Open studios

• Today and Sunday at the studios of 141 Boulder-area artists. Guidebooks (priced at $15.95) at various Front Range bookstores, art-supply stores and galleries.

• A work from each artist is included in an exhibition at the Boulder Public Library, 1100 Canyon Blvd.

• Yellow signs are posted in front of participating artists' studios: openstudios.org

Shulgoldm@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5296