Four Hand Band – Broadway to Classical (11/15/14)

Sasha Papernik and Alexander Wu, pianists, put on a terrific show—piano, four hands, plus a solo turn for each during the intermission-less concert. The program was more Classical to Broadway but that’s a minor quibble.

Sonata for Four Hand Piano; 1. Prelude, 2. Rustique, 3. Final – F. Poulenc (1899–1963)
Waltz & Tarantella from Sketches vol. 2 (Four-Hand) – V. Gavrilin (1939–1999)
‘A Gershwin Melody’ for piano duet – The Gershwins, Arr. by G. Haydon & J. Lyke
Etudes based on Gershwin Songs; 1. The Man I Love, 2. Fascinatin’ Rhythm – G. Gershwin (1898–1937), Arr. by E. Wild
Ma mere l’Oye for piano four hands – M. Ravel (1875–1937)
Fantasy on Themes from Carmen (Four-Hand) – G. Bizet (1838–1875),
Arr. by O. Singer
Russian Lullaby – I. Berlin (1888–1989), Arr. by S. Papernik
Bandoneón no. 1 from Suite Troileana (Four-Hand) – A. Piazzolla (1921–1992),
Arr. by M. Horn
Selections from West Side Story (Four-Hand); 1. I Feel Pretty, 2. Cool, 3. Maria, 4. Tonight, 5. America – L. Bernstein (1918–1990), Arr. by C. Klose

In addition to the music, we were also treated to commentary on the pieces as well as on the history of four-hand piano, itself. Piano, four hands, was often used by families playing together and also by pupils and teachers playing together. While it dates back at least to the 16th century, it had a renaissance of sorts in the 18th century as pianos became more readily available in homes and were used as family entertainment (a precursor, if you will, to radio/TV/internet).

The first piece was written when Poulenc was a youthful 19, and it showed in a couple of instances. It started with strong rhythms and tuneful phrases, followed by a slower second movement that expanded a bit and had Asian influences, finishing brightly and briskly—almost too energetic (see “youthful,” above).

Gavrilin’s waltz started slowly and had a heavy, lush, Russian feel to it, with a haunting main theme that came back several times. The tarantella had a minor key main theme presented as a straightforward dance form with some dissonances tossed into the mix. It was a real crowd pleaser because of the form and the very brisk tempos.

The Gershwin medley combined Stairway to Paradise, Do It Again, and Swanee in an arrangement that had a real Tin Pan Alley flair. It was a celebration of popular music, but it felt almost like a throwaway, though the arrangements were far beyond my meager pianistic abilities, and were played beautifully by both artists.

The Etudes were originally improvisations by the arranger, Earl Wild, that he was encouraged to write down. Boy, are we glad he did. Technically very different from the previous medley,
The Man I Love was absolutely lovely, while Fascinatin’ Rhythm was obviously rhythmic, with some really off the wall flights of fancy, I’ve heard Mr. Wu play these before (this was his solo offering) and they’re always a joy to hear. I think I liked Fascinatin’ Rhythm even more this time around.

Ma mére was Ravel’s “Mother Goose Suite” for four-hand piano. It was veering into the Impressionistic piano style, with washes of tonal color, yet also included some writing in the extreme upper range of the piano that created a music-box feeling.

The Carmen themes were presented in a very straightforward manner and were the least favorite of mine. I understand the concept of bringing different genres to the piano literature but it didn’t quite do it for me. The same can be said for the West Side Story pieces that came later in the concert. Still, the audience enjoyed them, and there is that nice feeling of familiarity.

Ms. Papernik’s arrangement (her solo moment) of Berlin’s lullaby was interesting in that it combined a Russian folk song, as an introduction, with the lullaby proper, before springing into a stride piano version of the lullaby.

Piazzolla was a proponent of “nuevo tango,” stretching the traditional tango rhythms and forms in new ways. This piece was a prime example of that in terms of rhythms, harmonies, and depth of style, including several mood shifts within the piece.

After the WSS medley, the duo played a movement of Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik as an encore. It was the perfect exclamation point to a delightful afternoon. Many of these pieces are on the duo’s debut CD, Four Hand Band, which comes out very shortly (or came out very recently, depending on when you read this). I probably won’t purchase it, but if you want to take a crack at a ConcertMeister experience, you might want to scope it out for yourself.

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