Keith Emerson - Piano Concerto No. 1: Behind the Score (Episode 15)
Added 2022-03-15 04:38:50 +0000 UTCI had a blast getting to know Keith Emerson's piano concerto. Follow along with me as we dissect the score and see what treasures lie within this truly symphonic work!
Comments
I know it's 2 y since this came out, but it's new for me and I love this BTS! I was in my teens when my keyboard hero, Keith Emerson, came up with this, and I exalted in his achievement. I still think this piece is the best representation of who he was musically, and stands as his best monument. I discovered just last year that Keith's last resting place is just a 30 minute walk from where I live, and I went to pay homage and thanks at his grave. It is on a hillside close to the sea, and near to the place where he grew up. This music is so appropriate to that place - deep history and wide tradition coupled with the wild spark of the current moment. It's a humble place for a great musical spirit, but the piece and the place and the man resonate. This BTS was an emotional experience for me - thanks Doug.🙂
Adie
2024-01-30 23:05:41 +0000 UTCCool breakout of the instruments' parts played on a keyboard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGvhR0MtBUc
Kathy Ratino
2022-07-12 22:37:18 +0000 UTCThank you for your analysis Doug! As a layman, untrained ear, and huge Keith Emerson fan, it was very interesting. I have read some harsh reviews of this piece in the past from other "serious" music critics. It's gratifying for me, again as a huge Emerson fan, to hear a fresh take on it. Cheers!
Gerard Dion
2022-06-08 01:18:57 +0000 UTCAs a layman, untrained ear, and huge Keith Emerson it was very interesting.
Gerard Dion
2022-06-08 01:12:27 +0000 UTCRachel Flowers performs Keith Emerson's Piano Concerto No. 1 - Third Movement: Toccata con Fuoco with the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra conducted by Terje Mikkelsen. Date: July 28, 2017 Place: Birmingham Symphony Hall, Birmingham, U.K. Event: Keith Emerson: A Musical Celebration of his Life https://youtu.be/cAR8CBmoI38
Max Houkes
2022-04-07 13:43:51 +0000 UTCI remember reading in New Musical Express (?) when this came out in '77 that the third movement was written after there had been a major fire at his house in Sussex (I think) which destroyed a large part of Emerson's collection of pianos, many of them hundreds of years old. He seemed to have poured all of his angst and agitation into the music. Con Fuoco indeed.
John Clark
2022-03-23 11:15:15 +0000 UTCIt depends on the relationship between the composer and the orchestrator. Often, they are the same person. But, in many circumstances, the composer writes the themes and road map...and the orchestrator 'realizes' the piece for the orchestra. When I write for orchestra, I first write on 3-4 staves...THEN I orchestrate from that template.
R. Douglas Helvering
2022-03-17 14:38:36 +0000 UTCThis one is on the list! Thanks.
R. Douglas Helvering
2022-03-17 14:37:01 +0000 UTCGood evening Doug I do not know music notation at all but was wondering how much influence does the Orchestrator have on the final score, will he offer change suggestions to instruments etc. Excellent
Michael Brown
2022-03-16 20:28:59 +0000 UTCHi Doug, as many have stated here, both Fanfare and Pirates are worth a listen and analysis. Also, since you already did Keith's Concerto, I would love for you to listen to and analyze another classical piece by a rock keyboardist - the famous Concerto for Group and Orchestra by Jon Lord from Deep Purple. If you had any trouble finding a score for that, I can provide it for you, since I have the printed score. Thank you for your wonderful content, it's nice to see a guy with classical background enjoy some of the best prog rock pieces there are. Greetings from the Czech Republic!
Richard Klíma
2022-03-16 12:10:17 +0000 UTCI have been a fan of this piece since it first came out on vinyl in1977. This was a fascinating analysis, and I am very grateful that you gave it the attention it deserves. Thank you. Also interesting that where you heard Vaughan Williams, I tend to hear Nielsen. Since you mentioned side 4 of the Works Volume 1 album, I would say "Yes please" to both Fanfare for the Common Man and Pirates, if ever you have the time and the inclination.
Les Mable
2022-03-15 23:25:28 +0000 UTCyou'll find some hints of these themes in Pirates on this album Doug.
Jim Reeves
2022-03-15 23:01:55 +0000 UTCKeith's fiancee, Mari, had asked you to review his Piano Concerto back when you featured Karn Evil 9 on The Daily Doug. I hope there is some way for you to send her this Behind The Score episode (assuming she's not a Patreon subscriber) so that she can enjoy it. Great job on the episode, as always... If you're interested further, there are videos on YT of Keith playing the 3rd movement live: one in Montreal 1977 with an orchestra; and another in Moscow 2008 in a rock adaptation with his band.
yes.elp.krimson
2022-03-15 20:59:57 +0000 UTCThank you for this Doug. I attended the tribute show in Birmingham, UK where Rachel Flowers played this with a full orchestra conducted by Terje Markkinen. The first time I'd heard this concerto and the first time I'd ever come across Rachel Flowers... how someone so delicate can play a beast of a concerto, designed to be played by someone older and stronger, and do it with such flair and confidence is completely beyond me! (Not to mention the fact that she is completely blind...)
Chris Ramsbottom
2022-03-15 18:34:45 +0000 UTCI've been looking forward to this for a while. In part because it seems that academic analysis of "classical" pieces by rock musicians (or even just more "serious" rock music like progressive rock) is avoided. For us who are less trained in theory, it's often difficult to pick out where certain parts are a development of an earlier section (even if we can tell that it helps hold together a longer piece), and it's very interesting to learn what makes a more complex piece like this work. I think the Cadenza sounds like a typical Keith Emerson solo section. He tends to have left hand patterns (often over one chord) that he'll have on autopilot and improvise over. He also has the tendency to speed them up, which is often a mistake in my opinion. You haven't heard "Take a Pebble" yet, but the live versions of that really speed up the solo section and it loses a bit of the coherence and flow of the section. You recently listened to Trilogy, and I think you can see both sides of his playing there very well - his piano style (which I tend to prefer over his other playing, as great as it is), and the one chord jam/solo that it morphs into. I'm not surprised about the big orchestra. First because the orchestrations were assisted by the conductor of the London Philharmonic and yes, I think he orchestrated for that particular group. But also because this was Keith Emerson in the '70s where "bigger was better" and ELP in particular was known for their bombast. For this tour, they originally brought a 70-piece orchestra with them (rather than hiring local orchestras like Yes did on the Symphonic Tour). This proved to be too expensive, they were losing money, and a real challenge in dealing with the (union?) orchestra musicians. They ended up dropping the orchestra partway through the tour, but ELP didn't tour again after the next two releases before disbanding for the first time at the end of the '70s. Works Volume 2 was largely composed of outtakes and semi-solo material, and Love Beach was a true contractual obligation album, although I think "Memoirs From an Officer and a Gentleman" is an overlooked classic. In part because it's a long-form piece that completely dispenses with the typical ELP bombast. Anyway, the need for the orchestra was largely due to the concerto, along with Keith's wanting to do things "bigger." A show from the tour was recorded at Montreal and it's...interesting. So that might shed some light on how the piece was orchestrated. I think you'll really enjoy many of the Greg Lake pieces on Works Vol. 2, and Pirates is one of ELP's best - again, dispensing with most of the bombast for a piece written for a 3-piece rock band with orchestra. Carl Palmer's side is the most eclectic, but contains some very interesting material as well, if sounding the least like ELP.
Randy Hammill
2022-03-15 16:17:40 +0000 UTCI'm amazed I got through that, I was struggling to follow the 1st movement, looked ahead to see that there was a lot more to get through and almost gave up. Had a break came back to it, and the second movement. Which was a welcome relief, very enjoyable, really lovely in places. The third movement was enjoyable too, at a quicker tempo and 'con fuoco' and quite flowing. Really enjoyed the analysis, comparisons with other composers, and the final critique. I should sit back and listen to this again, but without a cigar, maybe a glass of wine instead. Cheers Doug!
FallingLeaf
2022-03-15 13:01:00 +0000 UTCDoug, Thank you SOOOOO much for reviewing this piece. I've been waiting to hear your reaction for a long time. - Buffalo Fred
Fred Beaulieu
2022-03-15 12:04:36 +0000 UTCSuch a fair and balanced review. It is such a pity Keith did not write a second and a third. One begins with other's influence and strenghten's one's voice. Thank you Doug.
Andrew Wingham
2022-03-15 09:42:34 +0000 UTCThank you, Doug. You just made my day 😊
Zsuzsanna Vázsonyi
2022-03-15 08:33:08 +0000 UTCEnjoyed every second of that, Doug! This is a piece that was criticised by some, there were accusations of plagiarism ( I prefer inspiration!) but for me it's a quite wonderful piece of music That he got to there on the album after the frenzied madness of Karn Evil 9 shows his range of skills, passions and adaptability. I've read many times that Keith was very proud of this work and I totally get why that was the case. As always, a fantastic review and analysis Doug. I learn from every one of these. My appreciation of classical music has really grown in the last decade and it's great to hear the insights of someone I have so much respect for. Keep 'em coming Doug! Blessings from Western Australia :-)
Frank D
2022-03-15 07:27:26 +0000 UTC
