Lang Lang (piano)
New York Rhapsody
rec. 2016, various locations
Song texts are provided (English, no translations)
SONY CLASSICAL 88985332979 [70]
The producer Larry Klein envisioned this programmatic crossover album as “a balanced and timeless portrait of New York City’s unique role in how music developed in the last century”, but it is much more than snapshots of a timeline: it is a kaleidoscopic panorama of The City itself, showing its moods and glimpses of its soul, with intersecting planes right out of a Cubist painting. The unifying force is Lang Lang, but apart from the two Copland miniatures, the pianist is always joined by either a vocalist or another instrumental soloist.
The order of tracks is important, as we move from dawn to deep night. New York’s busy day starts quietly with Copland’s Story of Our Town arranged for piano and orchestra. It is simple, soft and beautiful. The arrangement is gentle without excess sweetness; the general feeling is of tenderness and peace.
New York Morning is a hymn to the City that has all the answers somewhere out there; it expresses the fascination with New York’s busy life and street-smartness. This song is very much like a New Yorker, who grabs your sleeve and talks until you agree to anything just to be set free. The melody is simple yet memorable. Sometimes it seems that the orchestra, the piano and the singer try hard to drown each other in the waves of Rachmaninov-style, bell-ringing intensity.
You most probably know the song Empire State of Mind (not to confuse with Billy Joel’s New York State of Mind) in its rap version with Jay Z and Alicia Keys. Regardless of your feelings towards rap in general, admit that there is something in this song – its raw, pulsing energy is captivating. Here we have its first derivative – a softer, rap-less version created by Alicia Keys and appearing as “Empire State of Mind Part II Broken Down" on her album. It has the same chorus (Concrete jungle where dreams are made of…) but the words around it are different: it is more narrative, more personal, without the profanities and the gang talk. Andra Day with her dreamy voice is a perfect presenter of this vision. This version is subdued and does not reach the ecstatic heights of the rap one, and I feel that something is unfinished here, like a work in progress. The piano spins the net around the lush strings, with electric tingling.
Lang Lang joins forces with jazz veteran Herbie Hancock for a grandiose, two-piano reading of Rhapsody in Blue, which is forever associated with The City since Disney’s Fantasia. The acoustic quality of the recording is astonishing, so clear and immediate: I don’t think I have ever heard this work better recorded. If you are used to your Rhapsody in Blue served agitated and urgent, you’ll find quite a different approach here: instead of electric frenzy – leisurely walks; instead of adrenalin-pumped heartbeat – a mechanical pulse of a metronome. This interpretation is unorthodox as it allows a few introspective inserts – not full-scale cadenzas, but some chips and bits here and there – which sound more Debussy than Gershwin, and only one of them is openly jazzy (something I expected more of, considering Hancock’s involvement). The glorious score of Gershwin/Grofe is well presented, and the second piano definitely adds depth. Some spontaneity is still around, but there are also moments when the momentum halts, especially in the inserted cadenzas; just compare this recording’s 21:24” duration to 16 minutes of Earl Wild or Bernstein! I personally prefer the more tense and compact versions; in my opinion, Rhapsody in Blue should keep you on the edge of your seat, not let you be comfortably relaxed. But this might be just my imprinting, and I believe I will be returning to this version for a different view on this well-known work.
Things start getting darker in New York Minute, a ballad about pressure leading to suicide, and the will to survive. The music seems lightweight compared to the text, and the arrangement – kind of Paul Mauriat meets Richard Clayderman – does not help.
The Dirty Boulevard by Lou Reed is a great song, and crossing it with Bernstein’s ethereal Somewhere was a clever idea, adding a dimension to both songs. The Hell and the Heaven are projected by the low, raw thunder of Jeffrey Wright and the powerful ecstatic voice of Lisa Fischer. Wright’s delivery is more serious than Reed’s original one, and the resulting fusion with Bernstein has at the same time more tragedy and more hope. On the other hand, I feel that this is more a story about the poor being told to the rich. The words are scary and depressive, but the piano is so soft, the strings so luxurious, that it becomes a spooky fairy tale rather than a snapshot of the dirty reality.
New York is now much more than a city. It is a symbol, a fantasyland, and this face is represented here by Danny Elfman’s Spiderman Theme in an arrangement where Lang Lang’s piano and the violin of Lindsey Stirling are in a constant fight. The music is dark and gritty, with maniacal drive. You can find a beautiful video of this collaboration on YouTube.
In the voiceless arrangement of Tonight from West Side Story, the trumpet of Sean Jones sings as beautifully as any vocalist. Over the urgent rhythmic textures, the presentation is quite operatic. Bernstein would probably approve of it, especially the busy piano part.
The things calm down again with Moon River, which is sung by Madeleine Peyroux. When I first heard it, I imagined the singer to be at least a septuagenarian, and was surprised to learn that she is only 42. The voice is a tad unstable and watery, though somehow, surprisingly, it suits the song. The shimmering strings and the Hawaiian guitar create a nostalgic, romantic mood. The piano is very sensitive. I don’t know exactly what is the connection to NYC here. The “moon river” description does not fit the Hudson, for sure!
Finally comes the serene tranquillity of Copland’s last finished piece, Into the Evening Air. This is absolute meditative relaxation. To witness such moments in New York, you have to live in The City; they rarely reveal themselves to strangers. Maybe it’s a sign that by the end of the album we already know New York well enough?
Overall, the album leaves the feeling of sugar glaze and glamour, but it is still beguiling, just like The City itself. The fancy booklet has notes by Larry Klein about the concept and programming decisions, in English, German and French, but the song lyrics are only in English. The recording quality is superb overall. Lang Lang is in his usual powerhouse self, from intimate to overwhelming, and always theatrical. It usually takes me listening for at least half of this disc to get hooked, but then it hooks me for real. It is fascinating, like a good Broadway show; a couple of days after you have watched such a show, you might even shrug and say, “What was all the fuss about?” – but while you are watching it, you are absolutely immersed.
Oleg Ledeniov
Contents
Story of Our Town (Aaron Copland)
New York Morning (Guy Garvey/Richard Jupp/Craig Potter/Mark Potter/Peter Turner)
Featuring Jason Isbell (vocals)
Empire State of Mind (Alicia Keys/Shawn Carter/Angela Hunte/Bert Keyes/Sylvia Robinson/Janet Sewell-Ulepic/Alexander Shuckburgh)
Featuring Andra Day (vocals)
Rhapsody in Blue, arr. for two pianos and orchestra (George Gershwin)
Featuring Herbie Hancock (piano)
London Symphony Orchestra/John Axelrod
New York Minute (Don Henley/Jai Winding/Danny Kortchmar)
Featuring Kandace Springs (vocals)
Somewhere (Dirty Blvd.) (Leonard Bernstein/Lou Reed)
Featuring Lisa Fischer and Jeffrey Wright (vocals)
Spider-Man Theme (Danny Elfman)
Featuring Lindsey Stirling (violin)
Tonight (Leonard Bernstein)
Featuring Sean Jones (trumpet)
Moon River (Henry Mancini)
Featuring Madeleine Peyroux (vocals)
In Evening Air (Aaron Copland)
