The pianist was Alexander A. Wu, Yamaha Piano Artist and the double life referred to jazz/popular music versus American classical. Somehow with George Gershwin, they blend together. This was an old-fashioned Lecture/Recital, a format that I wish would make more of a comeback. Mr. Wu played from scores but spoke from memory.
Program – George Gershwin (1898–1937) (an all too brief life, the ConcertMeister editorialized)
Rialto Ripples Rag (1916–1917) transcribed by Richard Dowling (more on that later); Three Preludes (1926), Prelude I (in B flat), Prelude II (Blue Lullaby), Prelude III (Spanish Prelude); Novelette in Fourths (1918–1919), transc. by Dowling; An American in Paris in Miniature (1928) arranged by Maurice C. Whitney; Three Virtuoso Etudes based on Gershwin songs (1924) arr. by Earl Wild; and Fantasy on Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess (1935), arr. by Wild.
So you’re saying, “Why do we need a transcription of a Gershwin rag?” As it turns out, Gershwin recorded it on a player piano roll and what we heard was a transcription of the actual piano roll! Youthful Gershwin, to be sure.
With the Preludes, Gershwin had the idea of composing a set of 24 preludes à la Chopin, but only six were eventually written. And for those of you keeping score at home, it’s true that last week’s pianist played the Three Preludes and that one of my comments was, “Touch of a blues-y feeling in No. 2.” I feel somewhat vindicated now, knowing that No. 2 is referred to as Blue Lullaby. That said (and I’m really not going to do a total compare and contrast), I felt that Mr. Wu’s performance was a bit brisk for a Lullaby. In fact, all three Preludes were just a bit speedy for my taste. Hey, that’s what makes a horse race. Throughout the program, Mr. Wu had a nice fluidity, with strength as needed, in his playing.
As it turns out, the Novelette (with the fourths—pairs of notes four notes apart) gave the piece what was perceived as an Oriental flair with a ragtime feel. Think “da-da-da-da, da-da, da-da-da!” and you’ll know exactly what I mean. Also, interestingly, we learned that this piece from 1918–1919 wasn’t even published until 1955. And it was one of the six completed Preludes. That’s why I really enjoy the Lecture/Recital aspect of this program.
An American in Paris was arranged c.1951, very close to the release of the movie of the same name. It felt and sounded like an old friend (“honk, honk, honk”).
The Virtuoso Etudes (no. 4, Embraceable You; no. 2, Somebody Loves Me; no. 7, Fascinatin’ Rhythm) were indeed virtuosic. Earl Wild was known for performing his improvisations of many works and was persuaded to write them down. The result here is the pianistic reveries of an incredibly gifted improvisationist. Embraceable You opened with arpeggiated chords, once again like a ballet perpetual motion movement. There was a bit of a false start, so (fortunately for us) Mr. Wu did a re-start. Totally worth it. Fascinatin’ Rhythm was both rhythmic and fascinating.
After intermission, we had the Porgy and Bess. While I acknowledge its standing in American opera/musical theater, I just don’t know the entire score well enough to comment on the total composition here. The highlights were hit—Summertime, Plenty O’ Nuttin’, It Ain’t Necessarily So, and Bess, You Is My Woman Now—but as for Jasbo Brown Blues, My Man’s Gone Now, and Oh, Lawd I’m on My Way, I just can’t say.
I can say that this is a very talented pianist who presented a very well-thought-out Lecture/Recital. I learned about the music while learning to love the music. So we had jazz/popular, with the ragtime and popular show tunes, American classical, with the Preludes and An American in Paris, and both, with the Earl Wild arrangements of the songs as Etudes and Porgy and Bess. A double life, indeed.
ConcertMeister
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