Rhapsody in Blue: A Gershwin Celebration | Daniel Vnukowski, piano, Adrianne Pieczonka, soprano; Jonelle Sills, soprano; Justin Welsh, baritone; Stéphane Mayer, piano. Markham Flato Theatre, November 14, 2024.
Final night time, whereas downtown Toronto was abuzz with pleasure a few sure pop celebrity, vocal and piano fireworks have been ablaze contained in the Flato Markham Theatre, packed to capability for an intimate live performance that performed tribute to an early twentieth century rockstar.
American composer George Gershwin is finest identified for his pioneering of fusion musical types that spanned fashionable, jazz and classical genres. Along with a number of acclaimed orchestral works and a few operas of combined successes, he penned quite a few songs for Broadway and Hollywood, collectively along with his brother Ira who offered exceptionally witty lyrics.
The night was hosted by Daniel Vnukowski, identified to many Torontonians because the charismatic host of Classical 96.3 FM’s “Jukebox.” Vnukowski is a positive pianist in his personal proper, and he exhibits immense versatility in his craft in a number of jazzy items. The musical spotlight of the night is his mesmerizing efficiency of “Rhapsody in Blue.”
Though the Rhapsody is often carried out as an orchestral piece that opens with the signature clarinet glissando, Vnukowski’s solo piano model is not any much less compelling. He utterly captures the jazzy spirit of Gershwin with dramatic dynamic contrasts. The passionate taking part in is accompanied by many, however by no means extreme, inventive thrives.
This 12 months marks the one centesimal anniversary of Gershwin’s iconic masterpiece. It’s arduous to think about that he “unintentionally” wrote this work in just some weeks, which has since grow to be one in all his most beloved compositions. There may be the well-known story of Gershwin making use of to check beneath Maurice Ravel, solely to be rejected by the grasp, who famously stated, “Why grow to be a second-rate Ravel once you’re already a first-rate Gershwin?”
No all-Gershwin live performance could be full with out tunes from the Nice American Songbook. This live performance had one in all, if not the most effective, residing Canadian sopranos singing them. Internationally famend Adrianne Pieczonka has sung on the world’s biggest levels. Not solely was it attention-grabbing to listen to her outdoors of her pure habitat of an opera home, it was particular that she got here out of latest retirement to carry out. In an earlier interview with Ludwig van Toronto, Pieczonka stated that Broadway was her past love, earlier than she even found opera. Pieczonka carried out six solo items, recognizable tunes like “Love walked in”, “Somebody to look at over me” and “Our love is right here to remain.” There was additionally “By Strauss,” a parody of the waltz king Johann Strauss which mocks American composers like Cole Porter, Jerome Kern and Gershwin himself. Although Pieczonka sings largely in her center vary, her phrasing is unmistakably lovely, and her lavishly wealthy voice nonetheless carries and envelopes you want a heat blanket.
The efficiency additionally featured two Canadian rising stars, soprano Jonelle Sills and baritone Justin Welsh. Sills notably made her Canadian Opera Firm debut final 12 months as Mimi in La bohème. Welsh, a COC Ensemble Studio alumnus, additionally starred in that very same manufacturing as Schaunard. The duo carried out solo numbers and some duets, amongst which have been excerpts from Porgy and Bess, one other Gershwin masterpiece.
Sills is a pure and fascinating performer of showtunes from the Gershwin period. She has a brilliant palette and heat timbre which can be effectively suited to songs like “Embraceable you” and “Summertime.” She makes use of her opera voice with a mighty vibrato when singing the upper vary which soars all the way in which as much as a excessive B.
Welsh is an animated performer, and his resonant baritone comes with a very good dose of gravitas. His rendition of the crowd-pleaser “Swanee” is vigorous and energetic. His finest second is because the slimy Sportin’ Life in Porgy and Bess, by which he drums up the viewers to hitch in and repeat traces after him in “Ain’t essentially so.”
It might be remiss to not point out the great taking part in from pianist Stéphane Mayer, who accompanied the vocalists all through the night.
The trio of vocalists introduced the live performance to a becoming shut with “I bought rhythm,” once more with viewers participation. The night transported me to a Nineteen Twenties and 30s jazz membership, and I discovered myself buzzing Gershwin tunes all the way in which dwelling.
Rhapsody in Blue: A Gershwin Celebration repeats in Welland (Nov 16) and Burlington (Nov 21)
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Denise Lai is a Physiotherapist and Faculty Professor. She is an alumnus of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and a rusty piano participant.