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.
Last night, while downtown Toronto was abuzz with excitement about a certain pop superstar, vocal and piano fireworks were ablaze inside the Flato Markham Theatre, packed to capacity for an intimate concert that played tribute to an early 20th century rockstar.
American composer George Gershwin is best known for his pioneering of fusion musical styles that spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. In addition to several acclaimed orchestral works and a couple of operas of mixed successes, he penned numerous songs for Broadway and Hollywood, together with his brother Ira who provided exceptionally witty lyrics.
The evening was hosted by Daniel Vnukowski, known to many Torontonians as the charismatic host of Classical 96.3 FM’s “Jukebox.” Vnukowski is a fine pianist in his own right, and he shows immense versatility in his craft in several jazzy pieces. The musical highlight of the evening is his mesmerizing performance of “Rhapsody in Blue.”
Although the Rhapsody is usually performed as an orchestral piece that opens with the signature clarinet glissando, Vnukowski’s solo piano version is no less compelling. He completely captures the jazzy spirit of Gershwin with dramatic dynamic contrasts. The passionate playing is accompanied by many, but never excessive, artistic flourishes.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Gershwin’s iconic masterpiece. It is hard to imagine that he “unintentionally” wrote this work in just a few weeks, which has since become one of his most beloved compositions. There is the well-known story of Gershwin applying to study under Maurice Ravel, only to be rejected by the master, who famously said, “Why become a second-rate Ravel when you’re already a first-rate Gershwin?”
No all-Gershwin concert would be complete without tunes from the Great American Songbook. This concert had one of, if not the best, living Canadian sopranos singing them. Internationally renowned Adrianne Pieczonka has sung on the world’s greatest stages. Not only was it interesting to hear her outside of her natural habitat of an opera house, it was special that she came out of recent retirement to perform. In an earlier interview with Ludwig van Toronto, Pieczonka said that Broadway was her first love, before she even discovered opera. Pieczonka performed six solo pieces, recognizable tunes like “Love walked in”, “Someone to watch over me” and “Our love is here to stay.” There was also “By Strauss,” a parody of the waltz king Johann Strauss which mocks American composers like Cole Porter, Jerome Kern and Gershwin himself. Though Pieczonka sings mostly in her middle range, her phrasing is unmistakably beautiful, and her lavishly rich voice still carries and envelopes you like a warm blanket.
The performance also featured two Canadian rising stars, soprano Jonelle Sills and baritone Justin Welsh. Sills notably made her Canadian Opera Company debut last year as Mimi in La bohème. Welsh, a COC Ensemble Studio alumnus, also starred in that same production as Schaunard. The duo performed solo numbers and a few duets, among which were excerpts from Porgy and Bess, another Gershwin masterpiece.
Sills is a natural and engaging performer of showtunes from the Gershwin era. She has a bright palette and warm timbre that are well suited to songs like “Embraceable you” and “Summertime.” She uses her opera voice with a mighty vibrato when singing the higher range which soars all the way up to a high B.
Welsh is an animated performer, and his resonant baritone comes with a good dose of gravitas. His rendition of the crowd-pleaser “Swanee” is lively and energetic. His best moment is as the slimy Sportin’ Life in Porgy and Bess, in which he drums up the audience to join in and repeat lines after him in “Ain’t necessarily so.”
It would be remiss not to mention the wonderful playing from pianist Stéphane Mayer, who accompanied the vocalists throughout the evening.
The trio of vocalists brought the concert to a fitting close with “I got rhythm,” again with audience participation. The evening transported me to a 1920s and 30s jazz club, and I found myself humming Gershwin tunes all the way home.
Rhapsody in Blue: A Gershwin Celebration repeats in Welland (Nov 16) and Burlington (Nov 21)
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