Views over the keyboard
I've recently been in contact with Jeffrey Biegel, the American pianist who has been described by no less a person than the great Leonard Bernstein as:
"... a splendid musician and a brilliant performer. I think you will be proud to present him to the public."
Upon checking, I learned that there is a recording of Leroy Anderson's Concerto in C from Naxos to go with his recording of César Cui's 25 Preludes on the same label.%202.jpg)
Looking at his website, one wonders just why Jeffrey is not better known. Certainly from the press reviews, there are many lucky people who have heard him play both in the States and in Europe. A recent review of a concert in Anchorage where he played the Liebermann 3rd Piano Concerto elicited the critic's response:
"About his accuracy, energy and prowess with trills, scales, cascading chords and the rest of the munitions in the pianistic armory, there can be no doubt."
After the concerto he followed it with "Rush Hour in Hong Kong" by American teacher and pianist Abram Chasins. The report expressed surprise at this choice of encore, but Chasins had written a biography of Leopold Stokowski whose arrangement of J.S. Bach's Toccata and Fugue opened the concert.
His repertoire ranges from the familiar to the little known. There are mentions of the Beethoven Emperor, Mozart K467, Saint-Saens's 2nd piano concerto and the Liszt E Flat Major (these last two in the same concert!). Clearly here is a star performer.
In an email to me he writes:
Trained in the traditional manner by Adele Marcus, a protege of Josef Lhevinne and Artur Schnabel, Ms. Marcus' training had a profound effect on me as a musician and performing artist. We were taught to be true to the traditions of the great composers and pianists, yet Ms. Marcus encouraged her students to have an ear for the future. Taking the standard literature with me on the road is a wonderful means of artistic exchange between me onstage, and the subtle vibes I receive from my audiences as I twist and turn phrases, allowing the natural beauty and the wildly virtuosic passages to seem anew during each performance.
At the tender age of 46, I begin to wonder what I may be remembered for in years to come. I have dabbled in writing choral music, one of my pet hobbies, since I do not possess a beautiful singing voice! They have been published, mostly consisting of holiday music. I have always loved the traditional carols of the Christmas holiday, and decided to pen my own arrangements. I have recently recorded 'Classical Carols' arranged by Carolyne M. Taylor for the Koch label, due for release in the US in October 2007. These are expertly arranged morsels combining traditional carols with standard piano literature. I have also become known to create projects that join many orchestras together to commission a new concerto for piano and orchestra. The first such endeavor was a Millennium project titled, 'Millennium Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra' written for me by Pulitzer-Prize composer, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich in 2000. This was the first large consortium of orchestras comprised of 26 orchestras in the US. It is indeed challenging to do this, though the result brings about a new work that can be embraced by pianists in the future. I am now at work with the Lowell Liebermann Third Piano Concerto, which joined 18 orchestras from the US and Europe, which is a first venture in and outside of the US. Having attended The Juilliard School in the 1980s, my composer friends are now writing concerti for me, and it is a delight to be able to gather orchestras to co-commission these exciting works. Richard Danielpour is set to compose a new concerto for me for the 2009 season, and the amazingly gifted multi-Grammy winning composer--and Pulitzer Prize winning composer--William Bolcom, shall indeed compose at my request, a new 'Choral Fantasy for Piano, Orchestra and Chorus' for the 2010-11 season. I plan to have orchestras worldwide co-commission this work, which combines my love for the piano, the chorus and the orchestra. I have enjoyed Beethoven's own work in this title, and felt it timely to have someone of Mr. Bolcom's stature compose a new one.
I have found that orchestras worldwide have been playing on an increasingly higher level, year after year. It is paramount in our global society, to keep young people tuned into the classics. I do this by combining standard literature with works that might appear new to them, such as Leroy Anderson's 'Concerto in C', or the UK's Keith Emerson, whose 'Concerto no. 1' is a dynamically electric work composed in 1977. Perhaps someday, more popular composers will merge with the classically trained composers to create a new style of contemporary music. I also find teaching young musicians in the style which combines traditional classical training with a bend for cultivating popular works by contemporary composers a particularly exciting challenge. In creating new Performance Editions for G. Schirmer recently, I found it a challenge to keep with the typical manner of teaching and playing of Robert Schumann's 'Scenes from Childhood' and the new 'Sonatina Album'. The accompanying CD makes it a very special package for teachers and students of all ages to use as a tool of education. Putting a personal stamp on recording such editions is difficult, since one must adhere to the standard way of teaching and playing of these works, with a gentle personal touch.
What is a legacy? What will each person as a musician be remembered for? It is difficult to answer this as there are so many artists that leave many wonderful things behind for the future. For me, it may very well be my choral compositions, my editions, new concerti commissioned for me, some solo recitals and concerts with orchestra and chamber music that people will remember and share with their children and grandchildren. As a husband and father, I have made sure to keep two copies of everything so that in many years from now, they can be shared in archives that feature pianists and their legacies. As for now, I am still young, and look forward to many years of performing internationally, and in recording old and new works. When my students ask what they should specialize in, I always say that we are living in a wonderful time period, where so many styles of piano literature are at our fingertips. I have personally enjoyed the exploration of new music coupled with keeping the traditional repertoire fresh and new."
23rd August 2007
Jeffrey's recording of the Leroy Anderson Piano concerto was released in January 2008 on Naxos. It was Jeffrey himself who gave the New York Premiere of the work.
January 2008
With the assistance of veteran recording engineer, George Schowerer, I am pleased to send the following link to you featuring a 2005 performance of the Piano Concerto no. 3 in C Major, by Serge Prokofiev: (first mvt) (the 2nd and 3rd mvts will be posted shortly).Although I have had special opportunities during my career to perform this concerto with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Orchestre de Radio France, Orchestre de Monte Carlo, New Japan Philharmonic, Singapore Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, Bergen Philharmonic in Norway and many other fine orchestras around the world, I had the special pleasure to bring the 'Prokofiev Third' closer to home with the South Shore Symphony Orchestra on Long Island, conducted by my friend, Scott Jackson Wiley.
No matter how far and wide we travel as musicians to bring our love and joy of music, it is always nice to perform on home turf. The South Shore Symphony is comprised of marvelous players from the Metropolitan New York City region. The orchestra and the administration have granted special permission to have this video created and posted on You Tube. I sincerely hope you enjoy this video!
