She’s a performer known for her thoughtful reinterpretation of classical and romantic heroes, not for her love of beatnik lyricists. Which is why her performance of “The Cohen Variations” might surprise audiences at her upcoming concert: She’s not saving the piece for an encore. She’s playing Felsenfeld between Chopin and Brahms.
The collaboration between Dinnerstein and Felsenfeld, 41, began with a quaint meeting in the neighborhood. His then-publicist was in the same mom’s group with Dinnerstein, and he was a fan of this “hometown, local hero,” so he asked for an introduction. One night over dinner, she asked her pal to write a solo arrangement of her favorite song, a song she stumbled upon four years ago. “She said, ‘I really want to do an arrangement of this Leonard Cohen song as an encore,’ and I said, ‘Sure, I’ll arrange it,’ ” Felsenfeld recalls. “But as we started talking about it, it evolved into a different concept.”
Dinnerstein says: “He said he could write a set of variations for me on the piece, and I’m so pleased with how it turned out. Danny followed the simplicity of the song. It’s contemplative. It never gets too elaborate. The repetition reflects the mood of the song.”
Late bloomer
It’s these attributes — simplicity, subtlety, thoughtfulness — that made critics take note of the pianist. In 2005, her sold-out debut performance at Weill Recital Hall earned her the sort of rare praise that launches careers. The New York Times music critic Allan Kozinn called the performance “thoughtfully conceived, thoroughly modern.” The Washington Post’s Anne Midgette called her rise from obscurity “a Cinderella story,” one in which she “made her career by breaking every rule in the book.”
Dinnerstein took up the piano relatively late at 7, and dropped out of Julliard before returning to complete her studies under Peter Serkin. She went on to fail on the festival circuit. She had few bookings in her 20s, normally the death knell of a concert career. “I was sort of a late bloomer,” Dinnerstein says. “I didn’t really grow into my playing until I hit my 30s.”
While pregnant with her son, Adrian, in 2002, she set out to learn Bach’s “Goldberg Variations,” an artistic choice that set her apart from pianists who balk at reinterpreting Glenn Gould’s signature recording. Her performances caught the ears of the concert world. Dinnerstein cemented her prominence on the classical charts in 2007, when she debuted with her self-funded recording of the work. The album not only won her mass critical acclaim, but also debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard classical charts.
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