The Sanctuary, Fountainhall at the Cross Church
Monday 16th October 2023
Rossano Sportiello Piano
PROGRAMME:
A selection of piano music by the following composers:
Earl ‘Fatha’ Hines, Isham Jones, Hoagy Carmichael, Rossano Sportiello, Eubie Blake, Ted Snyder, Sigmund Romberg, Bronislaw Kaper, J. S. Bach, Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, ‘Fats’ Waller, Willie ‘The Lion’ Smith, Frédéric Chopin and Renato Carosone.
REVIEW:
Monday’s celebrity recital by Rossano Sportiello drew a large audience to Queen’s Cross Church. This was not surprising because he is absolutely astounding. With almost unbelievable technique, great warmth and depth of feeling, wide musical range and sheer matchless musicality, he entranced the audience on this, his third visit to Queen’s Cross. After the concert, one audience member commenting specifically on Rossano’s performances of Willie ‘The Lion’ Smith’s Finger Buster and his second encore, Renato Carosone’s Pianofortissimo said ‘ I remember him being good, but this good! He was just amazing!’
This was certainly true, but he could also be spectacularly gentle and seductive in his performances of Bach, Schubert and Schumann. He could marry their classical styles, played superbly cleanly, with the world of jazz. What a pity Bach could not have heard him. I reckon he would have loved it. Perhaps Chopin would too. I’m not so sure about Schubert or Schumann but I loved it and so I think did most of Monday’s audience.
Rossano opened his recital with Rosetta by Earl Hines. The imaginative workings of jazz improvisation were so alive in this performance. It Had to Be You by the 1930’s saxophonist and band leader Isham Jones had an attractive melody. Rossano made it swing too, his hands seeming to soar weightlessly over the keys.
I love the music of Hoagy Carmichael, he also used to act in the TV Western Laramie. Rossano chose three of his pieces beginning with Skylark in which the music did indeed seem to fly. He followed this with an elite performance of Georgia on My Mind, so clean and clear to begin with and then powering up in the second section of the tune. The final piece of this section was Jubilee. It was red hot.
Rossano continued with one of his own compositions entitled If You Would Know How Sweet and Lovely is Elsie. It was dedicated to a lady who was a friend. Elsie and her husband were in the audience in Queen’s Cross Church. They had come all the way from England to hear the performance. This piece had an attractive melody and Rossano made it swing too.
The next two pieces were dedicated to another two of Rossano’s friends. Memories of You were in memoriam of the late Sandy Macdonald, doctor, clarinettist, instrument repairer and all round great bloke. His wife Joan is the Secretary of Chamber Music Concerts, actually in some ways Joan is Chamber Music Concerts. She had chosen The Sheik of Araby by Ted Snyder for Rossano to set his musical seal on. It was fantastic, so sizzlingly alive!
After the interval Rossano opened with Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise by Sigmund Romberg from his operetta The New Moon. The bass line that launched the piece had an almost atonal feel to it for a moment, but it soon warmed into melody and jazz. This was followed by On Green Dolphin Street by the Polish/American film composer Bronislaw Kaper. He wrote the music for the film Mutiny on the Bounty. Green Dolphin Street was also composed for a film but it became a renowned jazz classic. These two pieces with semi-classical backgrounds were well chosen for what was to follow. Rossano, without warning played J. S. Bach’s Prelude No.1 in C Major from the Well Tempered Klavier. I remember that in the 1960s many jazz performers picked up on Bach in their performances. There was Jacques Loussier, the Swingle Singers and others. I still have some of their records, so when Rossano took Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring into the world of blues, I thought that was fine. He also took Schubert and Schumann into the world of jazz. I enjoyed those as well.
We were back to full on jazz with Aint Misbehavin by ‘Fats’ Waller, a real foot tapper of a piece and then from the world of stride piano, the full on fiery Finger Buster by Willie ‘The Lion’ Smith. Watching Rossano’s flying fingers, this was a well named piece. With the fire still white hot, Rossano launched with a passion into Chopin’s Revolutionary Etude. Here were flames of classical music and of jazz too.
Enthusiastic applause drew two encores from Rossano, drawn with love from his original homeland of Italy. A gentle melodic piece was followed by Pianofortissimo by the Neapolitan composer Renato Carosone. What is near Naples? It is Mount Vesuvius. Well Pianofortissimo was a real volcano of a piece in full eruption. I watched Rossano’s fingers fly crazily over the keys of the piano, but as in many of his pieces, there was an amazing lightness in addition to the unquenchable energy. He hopes to be back in Aberdeen in the future. We hope for that too, but meantime you can go on his website to see and hear him perform. There are more than a hundred performances there that you can enjoy!
ALAN COOPER