Viv McLean & Lynsey Beauchamp: Classic Gershwin
Viv McLean & Lynsey Beauchamp
Classic Gershwin
The Concert Hall, The Kew Musical Museum ,London, U.K., August 1, 2015
Reviewed by Helen Theophanous for Cabaret Scenes
Viv McLean (pictured) realized the true spirit of George Gershwin in performance by brilliantly interpreting the essential classical background to his compositions. Classic Gershwin is the third music and words collaboration of Susan Porrett with pianist McLean and companion piece to Touches of Sweet Harmony (a celebration of Shakespeare) and Divine Fire (the story of Chopin and George Sand). Yvonne Evans of Seven Star Arts has succeeded in bringing us the life of George Gershwin in this masterful presentation which has successfully toured several U.K. venues.
Porrett’s script follows the fortunes of the Gershwin family, their many relocations and the rise of George and Ira in the music business. Interestingly in this venue, a unique musical museum, there is a Beck pianola which plays a piano roll made by George Gershwin when he worked for the company. The narration is enhanced by the addition of contemporary black and white back projections of vintage New York scenes and of the Gershwin family. Poignantly, they include photos of composer Kay Swift, Gershwin’s musical collaborator and love of his life, for whom he wrote the musical Oh, Kay!. At the end of the performance it was a privilege to hear Australian actor Trader Faulkner, Swift’s first cousin, relating personal anecdotes about the Gershwin/Swift musical collaboration and love affair in his talk, “The Gershwin Era.”
At this performance the narrator was Lynsey Beauchamp, whose extensive U.K. theater work includes appearing with the Royal Shakespeare Company as well as numerous television and film productions. Her soft trans-Atlantic accent was well suited to this work and her attachment to the piece and her connection to Gershwin shone through, especially at the moment when she related the sad story of his all-too-early demise.
At perfectly chosen moments the narration was illustrated by pianist McLean, winner of the 2002 Maria Canals International Piano Competition Barcelona, and who has played in all the major venues in the U.K. as well as throughout Europe, Japan, Australia and the U.S.A. He is well known for performing concertos with numerous orchestras, including The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of such conductors as Wayne Marshall, Carl Davis and Marvin Hamlisch. He is also a renowned chamber musician who has worked with The Leopold String Trio and the Sacconi String Quartet, has appeared in festivals all over the world and recorded regularly for BBC Radio 3 as well as for radio in Germany, France, Australia, Norway and Poland.
From the very first notes of “Someone to Watch Over Me” (arr. Maurice Whitney) it was evident that this was to be a very special Gershwin piano recital. McLean caressed the melody with a sensitive lyrical quality, bringing the verse in after the chorus with a delicacy and lightness of touch, expanding gently to a moving resolution. The early work “Three Preludes,” which followed, illustrated so much of the Gershwin style that was to be heard in later years.
McLean played the first prelude with an edgy vibrancy which the piece demanded and, in the second, he instantly brought a completely contrasting smooth lyrical sound to the left hand arpeggios, enhancing the melancholy beauty of the piece. McLean has complete mastery over the keyboard, often using minimal touch, yet eliciting exactly the sound required. The contrast in the presto third prelude, full of life and energy, was performed with perfect control but at the same time was exciting and free.
The narration led us through the many influences on Gershwin, ragtime and syncopation as well as his years as rehearsal pianist and piano roll maker. McLean gave us a perfect 1920s “Swanee” as we heard about the influence of Simon Foster, Fats Waller and Paul Whiteman and jazz, or “swing” as Gershwin preferred to call it. Ravel said Gershwin had a genius for complex rhythms and a gift for melody with “…one foot in Tin Pan Alley and one in Carnegie Hall.”
McLean could be said to have the same gifts in performing Gershwin. His virtuoso performance of “Rhapsody in Blue,” which concluded the first set, would alone have been worth the price of admission. His performance was full of multifaceted character, and he navigated the shifting moods and rhythms of the piece with superb artistry.
Many of the wonderful songs illustrating the Gershwin journey were featured, using mostly Gershwin’s own arrangements. “Oh! Lady, Be Good” (with its stride flavor sliding between key changes), “Sweet and Low-Down” (syncopated ragtime), “Embraceable You” (arr. Henry Levine)—complete with verse, and “Somebody Loves Me” were all performed by McLean with his unique understanding of each piece. “That Certain Feeling,” with its expansive arrangement and references to “Rhapsody in Blue,” was a joy, as was “I Got Rhythm.”
McLean enhanced every song with his personal interpretation. “My One and Only,” “Who Cares? (As Long As I Care for You)” and “I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise” delighted. And then there was “Summertime,” in which he seemed to magically stretch and intensify the tension. The final song, “The Man I Love” (arr. Percy Grainger), with its gently descending phrases, in McLean’s hands became a lachrymose lament for the early loss of this wonderful composer.
An added delight was a set of “Swinging Gershwin”— songs performed by Ellie Bignall (vocals) and Liam Stevens (piano). Here we could appreciate the Ira Gershwin lyrics of so many of the great songs alluded to in the preceding presentation. Bignall’s clear, high voice rang out to the rafters with “Love Is Here to Stay” and “A Foggy Day (in London Town),” followed by a melting “I’ve Got a Crush on You.” Bignall’s version of “They Can’t Take That Away from Me” had a hint of Anita O’Day. “’S Wonderful” contained unexpected tempo changes and, in “The Man I Love,” Stevens’s arrangement lent added interest. Bignall’s voice suited “Summertime” (lyrics: DuBose Heyward) perfectly and the two performers clearly reveled in their finale of “I Got Rhythm,” a suitable tribute to Ira’s lyrics.
The whole presentation is of the highest quality in the writing, the performance and particularly in the concept. The coda to the evening—Trader Faulkner relating experiences of his cousin Kay Swift’s relationship with George Gershwin—was very moving and added a unique personal touch. With these gifted performers, Classic Gershwin is a triumphant and glorious tribute to this remarkable composer.
Category: Cabaret Reviews, London, London Cabaret Reviews, Regional
