KEITH EMERSON STAR OF THE CLASSIC 70 YEARS

KEITH EMERSON STAR OF THE CLASSIC 70 YEARS

by Corrado Canonici

October 2014

Corrado Canonici was a friend and agent of Keith Emerson ... in October 2014 he told MAT2020 the following ...

Keith Emerson, yes, him, the Emerson Lake & Palmer’s one. The same as in the 1977 "Works Vol. 1" album featuring the "Piano Concerto no.1", a purely classical piece which critics (not having anything better to do) have decided to play down like an exercise of pomposity and megalomania – on the contrary, it was the pleasure of a true musician to develop and explore. Keith Emerson, born November 2, 1944 (as time goes on...), this year celebrates his 70^th birthday.

To mark this important anniversary, the South Shore Symphony Orchestra, USA, conducted by Scott Jackson Wiley, has dedicated two concerts as a tribute to Keith, on 10^th and 11^th  October 2014.

It was a most pleasant surprise seeing Keith on a classical stage, let alone the further surprise of seeing him conducting! Keith has been a convincing and knowledgeable guest conductor; in this capacity he conducted two of his pieces composed for the occasion.

The concert also saw the participation of Jeffrey Biegel, pianist preferred by Emerson for the interpretation of his "Piano Concerto No.1", performed by Jeffrey. A great video of the two evenings is available here:

More beautiful news for Keith’s 70^th: his “Piano Concerto No.1” will be recorded on the legendary classical label Naxos, alongside Jeffrey Biegel’s interpretation of Gershwin’s "Rhapsody in Blue (Emerson and Gershwin on the same classical music CD? I honestly find this beautiful).

The concerts indeed featured Keith Emerson playing solo as well, with a new and captivating jazz version of his "Tarkus" and a rock version of Alberto Ginastera’s "Malambo".

Emerson is a musician who has touched many hearts with his prog-rock, but never forgot blues, jazz, and classical music. Such influences are all too evident in his work with both the Nice and EL&P. The audience has listened and deeply appreciated, literally greeting each and every piece with a standing ovation. Both concerts were sold out several days earlier.

Keith Emerson’s music I find has been celebrated less than it should have: its originality is immense. Furthermore, not to be forgotten that unlike some of his prog-colleagues, Keith has never been a shadow of himself: as the true musician that he is, breathing music and living music every minute of his life, Emerson has never been afraid to jump into new trends and musical experiments. When the love of music and honesty of purpose are the forces that guide you, you can never, under any circumstances, have been mistaken.

The two evenings with the South Shore Symphony were a wonderful experience that is likely to be repeated in 2015, when Emerson’s 70^th birthday’s celebrations will continue. Happy Birthday to Keith Emerson, a true musical genius.