Call it the Curse of the Keyboard.

That's what Colorado Symphony president Doug Adams is starting to think, considering that in the past three seasons, no fewer than five pianists have had to cancel appearances with the orchestra.

The latest one really stings. "This was shaping up to be the chance of a lifetime," Adams said of this weekend's highly anticipated pairing of former music director Marin Alsop with current music director Jeffrey Kahane.

Because of extreme hypertension, Kahane was ordered by his doctor to cancel his scheduled appearances as soloist in Brahms' First Piano Concerto, under Alsop's baton. He also had to bow out of two dates with his other band, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.

"He's had a lot on his plate," said Kahane's press representative, Elizabeth Hinckley.

"I think that now he's recognizing that he had to slow the pace down. I've worked with people like (conductor/pianist) Daniel Barenboim and (conductor/composer) Esa-Pekka Salonen - musicians who also have two jobs - and it's a common problem with them: There's so much they want to do, things that look interesting or exciting. But you need to look at your life sometimes."

Hinckley said Kahane will now have plenty of time to do just that. She said that there are "high hopes for Jeffrey being back in a month." That would mean the first week of April at the earliest.

At the CSO, Adams understands that such a time frame means that at least two programs here featuring Kahane on the podium may have to be re-examined: concerts featuring Lutoslawski's thorny Symphony No. 4 (March 23-25) and the following week's events concluding with Nielsen's Symphony No. 4.

The orchestra anticipates few problems in finding a substitute, if necessary. "This is such a small business," Adams said of the close-knit concert world. "I've already received several calls - including some from the other side of the pond (i.e., the Atlantic) from managers telling me that their conductor would be available.

"At this point, I'm simply telling them, 'Thank you.' It's too early to find a replacement conductor or to reconsider the repertory."

He pointed out that the soloists for those two programs, pianist Ivan Moravec and cellist Johannes Moser, are set and that their solo vehicles (Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 14 and Elgar's Cello Concerto) will remain.

Adams spoke briefly with Kahane ("He said he's confident and comfortable with the rest and medication") and that the CSO will remain "sensitive to what works best for Jeffrey. If he wants to wait a little longer, that's fine.

"But, you know something? In all my years in Dallas (as executive director), we never had to replace a pianist. This makes the fifth time in three years!"

Adams also said that the season announcement for 2007-08 will likely be delayed by the music director's recovery.

While Kahane's loss has proved a major disappointment, securing the services of Christopher O'Riley for this weekend's concerts was an amazing stroke of good luck.

"Chris was Marin's No. 1 choice," said CSO vice president Gene Sobczak. "Not only was he available, but he told us he had just played the Brahms (Concerto) and had always wanted to perform it with Marin." SHADOW DANCE: Say what you will about this year's lengthy Oscars telecast, but a consensus highlight was the fanciful shadow-play of the dance company Pilobolus (which performed Tuesday in Boulder to a sold-out house).

Appearing in silhouette behind a screen several times during the show, the Connecticut troupe created witty, inventive poses and scenes depicting several of the year's most talked-about films.

The invitation came from Academy Awards producer Laura Ziskind, who'd been impressed with similar silhouetted shenanigans by Pilobolus in TV spots for Hyundai.

"We just went into the studio and played around with some of the movies we thought might be up for consideration," said rehearsal director Renée Jaworski.

"We didn't know what would work. We wanted something quick and eye-catching - an 'aha moment.' We aimed for recreating an iconic image, such as the shoe from the poster for The Devil Wears Prada. But some films, like Babel, didn't have that kind of visual image. The main thing was to entertain."

At one point, Oscars host Ellen DeGeneres joined the company behind the screen, then returned to quip that the dancers were naked. Jaworski playfully declined comment, though she did agree that the resulting exposure has not hurt the contemporary-dance troupe.

"The day after (the telecast), our phones rang off the hook from all sorts of media people," she reported. "And our Web site received one million hits."

Keyboard cancellations

The Colorado Symphony had to replace four pianists because of illness or injury in the past 14 months:

• October 2003: Katherine Chi substituted for Markus Groh

• February 2004: Jean-Yves Thibaudet filled in for Lang Lang

• May 2004: Natasha Paremski substituted for Louis Lortie

• December 2004: Helen Huang subbed for Terrence Wilson

Shulgoldm@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5296

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