May 1 2009
Clipper Erickson, April 18
This
concert was, in a word, spectacular. Of course, the advance
billing should have alerted us: The Standard Times in New Bedford,
Mass., stating, “Astounding would be one way to describe his ability to
get from the piano … more sound than I have ever heard.” Hearing
his playing in person proves that seeing (or in this case hearing) is
believing. His program was so varied that we enjoyed the full
gamut of his talents.
But the day before the program another concert took place, this one for 160 fourth and fifth graders at Northern Bedford Elementary School. Mr. Erickson played many of the jazz pieces he would play the next night, and the kids just loved them. He entertained the students nonstop for almost an hour and even had a whole crowd of them up on the stage with him for one of the pieces. Through the din of enthusiastic young stomping and clapping he serenely and expertly played “Juba Dance”—twice!
Saturday’s program began with a Chopin Nocturne (with a second one as an encore). Both pieces were wonderfully calming and elegant, interpreted with great sensitivity, and the stage was set to compare a classic European composer’s style with all the American compositions that followed.
But the day before the program another concert took place, this one for 160 fourth and fifth graders at Northern Bedford Elementary School. Mr. Erickson played many of the jazz pieces he would play the next night, and the kids just loved them. He entertained the students nonstop for almost an hour and even had a whole crowd of them up on the stage with him for one of the pieces. Through the din of enthusiastic young stomping and clapping he serenely and expertly played “Juba Dance”—twice!
Saturday’s program began with a Chopin Nocturne (with a second one as an encore). Both pieces were wonderfully calming and elegant, interpreted with great sensitivity, and the stage was set to compare a classic European composer’s style with all the American compositions that followed.
The program moved on to Victorian exuberance with a ballad by Amy Cheney-Beach, who is more commonly known as Mrs. H.H.H. Beach. Then Mr. Erickson changed countries and centuries to play the wonderful Rodeo suite by Aaron Copland. I had never heard all four movements played together, and the experience was wonderful. The originality of the style was clear, and this piano version was the composer’s own transcription. Mr. Erickson’s rendition was spot-on, and words can hardly describe how incredibly speedy his fingers were on those complex, fast sections.
After intermission it was pure American music, most of it jazz. The first piece, though, a Danza by the very interesting Louis Moreau Gottschalk, was a fascinating amalgam of classic style with Latin American rhythms and musical echoes. No surprise there, when we learned that he grew up in New Orleans under a potpourri of musical influences, studied in Paris, and toured extensively in Latin America.
The cluster of pieces by Nathaniel Dett, Fats Waller, and James Johnson were just plain lively fun, but some pieces were also incredibly fast. Mr. Erickson’s nimble fingers could have easily won him the prize for the kinds of contests where “Carolina Shout” was played in New York. The program ended with three beloved George Gershwin pieces, winding up with a bang with the incredible “Rhapsody in Blue.”
It was a wonder to see Clipper Erickson play a whole evening of varied and challenging pieces absolutely perfectly—and totally from memory. This concert was definitely one of the highlights of this season.