Customer Reviews

Billy Joel: Fantasies & Delusions, Op. 1-10 - Music for Solo Piano

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

Having been a Billy Joel fan for quite sometime I was a bit disgruntled several years ago when I heard he was done (momentarily) with pop music and moving onto classical music. However, after listening to Fantasies and Delusions I realize Billy wasn't leaving pop music - he was merely trying something new.
The first thing I noticed when opening the sleeve to the new album was that all music was composed by "William" Joel instead of Billy. With music for solo piano it's goodbye to Billy the pop star and hello to the classical composer. What emerges from this album is not only classic pieces but music that solidifies Joel's talent as a composer. There's no doubt that this album will be compared with other pop stars who have ventured into the realm of classical music. The difference is that Joel wrote classical pieces, McCartney and the others wrote pop songs turned into classical music. This is most evident on Waltz #1 (Nunley's Carousel) where the piece moves, at times, at the speed of a carousel but slows and bobs up-and-down like the ride.
I would venture to say that the reason Joel doesn't perform the pieces (they are performed wonderfully by Richard Joo) is that he realizes he isn't necessarily a trained classical pianoist. Instead he's happy to sit back and listen to others perform his work.
Also worth mentioning is Opus 4. Fantasy (Film Noir). Joel again shows his talent for writing and HEARING wonderful melodies and putting those melodies to piano.
So it's not rock and roll to Billy anymore. At least to William (and his fans) it's still great music.

The literati of music criticism are predictably dismissive of Billy Joel's "Fantasies & Delusions: Opus 1-10". The Washington Post's Tim Page derides the pieces as "little more than a garland of homages"; Slate's Adam Baer mocks them as "derivative salon pieces ... middlebrow." Of course, these guys are just doing their job: critics criticize. After all, how seriously can they afford to take someone named "Billy" as a composer of classical music?

Joel's latest venture is not like Michael Jordan's baseball excursion. These are songful pieces, often beautiful and skillfully crafted, with touches that echo Chopin (especially Joel's waltzes), Grieg's Lyric Pieces (the suite), Rachmaninoff (soliloquy), and J.S. Bach (invention). It's fairly sophisticated stuff -- nothing Billy-esque about it -- yet we hear in the work the musicality and touches of humor that have contributed to the artist's popularity over the years. The humor extends to the packaging and titling of the CD: it mimics an old Schirmer score, it flaunts delusion.

The pieces lack the clear melodic spine that gives coherence and start-to-finish propulsion as in the great music of Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin and Schumann, but hey, their early opuses weren't their most distinguished work either. Mr. Joel deserves to be cut some slack here. These pieces show real promise, and a few of them may even grow on us as we listen to them more carefully and more often. Mark Twain said famously that Wagner's music is better than it sounds; these pieces are, on the whole, considerably better than Page and Baer suggest.

The work is inspiring, partly because he does it in his 50s, but especially because he does it against a tidal wave of focus-group-driven pablum that has all but buried the sort of serious, complex music that has provided deep satisfaction for thoughtful people since the Baroque era. It was a thrill to see TV coverage of a huge auditorium in Philadelphia packed recently with young people absolutely mesmerized by this music. He did mix it up with some of his classic rock favorites ("Piano Man," "Just the Way You Are," "New York State of Mind"), but scans of the audience revealed a sea of faces extremely interested in his new "old" music.

Two and a half cheers for Billy Joel and his talented collaborator/interpreter/performer, Richard Joo. I applaud Joel's following his instincts, taking risks. I want more; I'm eager to hear what is to follow.

Over the past several years, I have found that my love for classical music has been reawakened, and even though my taste in music is still rooted in pop, rock, and other genres, I have a few albums with works both for full symphony orchestra (these being mostly film scores) and solo instruments, such as Billy Joel's first album of piano pieces, 2001's Fantasies and Delusions.

I love Billy Joel's more familiar pop/rock works, so when I received this CD for Christmas I was pleased. First, because in some of Billy's songs there are elements of his groundings in the classics; the melody in 1993's "Lullaby" was based on the style of Edvard Grieg, while the chorus of 1983's "This Night" (which is also one of my very favorite songs) is lifted note by note from a Beethoven piano concerto. Second, when I placed the CD into my stereo and pushed the "PLAY" button, the wonderful performances by pianist Richard Joo allowed me to shut out the outside world and simply relax, accompanied by Joel's sometimes cheerful, sometimes haunting, yet always beautiful compositions.

Although there are 10 compositions on this 12-track Sony Classical CD, they are not organized by their Opus numbers. Instead, producer Steven Epstein arranged the tracks for aesthetic purposes, starting the album with Opus 3 "Reverie (Villa D'Este)." As its title suggests, Joo plays this piece in a tempo suggesting thoughtful reflection. It brings to mind the shimmering nuances of memories and the emotions that come with them. Joo starts out with a slow, deliberate pace, then alternates between quick bursts of music and then back to the slow reverie-inducing tempo.

Another composition along this same musical mood (and one that I really like) is the 11:04-long Opus 7 "Aria (Grand Canal)," which is gentle and soothing, a perfect piano piece to just sit and relax to.

Although I have enjoyed the entire CD -- including the bright and cheerful Opus 2 "Waltz #1 (Nunley's Carousel)" -- I am enthralled by two pieces in particular: Opus 1 "Soliloquy (On a Separation)" and Opus 8 "Suite for Piano (Star-Crossed)." The former is a melancholy reflection on the theme of being away from someone you love; the latter is a tone poem in three movements (Innamorato, Sorbetto, and Delusion) that seems to fit the narrative of a doomed love affair.

The clarity of this recording gives the listener the auditory illusion of sitting in the front row in the renowned Vienna Konzerthaus at the Mozartsaal in Austria's capital, listening as Joo plays masterfully on a Steinway piano.

This is a beautiful album that should appeal to both the serious classical music listener as well as Billy Joel fans who not only know that not only could he draw audiences with his pop/rock songs, but that he draws upon many different styles of music, including "high-brow" classical compositions. I am pleased that someone was thoughtful enough to give this to me for Christmas, and I heartily recommend it as a worthy addition to anyone's CD collection.

Billy Joel has been slammed by some critics for attempting to enter the same genre as Chopin or Liszt, but I think these critics are really setting up a straw man just for the pleasure of it. The proper context to compare Joel's first classical work with is not the great masters of the piano, but the great bulk of contemporary composers- and in that context I think he acquits himself very well indeed.

I have listened to a lot of contemporary works for piano, both live and recorded, and most of it leaves me somewhat unimpressed. There's a lot of workmanlike composition out there but precious little that produces memorable themes like the aforementioned masters. Joel however, does produce memorable, even whistleable themes, and developes them very competantly, too. It shouldn't be surprising, as he's built a career out of crafting fine melodies and developing them in the context of the pop song. He's just taking that skill in a different direction here.

Is he the Chopin for the 21st century? Well, no, of course not. But he's a fine composer, and this album is certainly one of the better modern works for piano I've heard in recent years.

When I first heard Aria (Grand Canal) on the radio, the composer and composition was not announced. The listener was given the option to guess. I've been a classical pianist for over 40 years. After a few minutes of listening I came to a conclusion that it was the haunting mood and melancholy of Rachmaninoff, the exotic mysticism of Scriabin, a Chopin Waltz maybe, or perhaps...an extension of Liszt's Years of Pilgramige.
When he announced Billy Joel I was quite quite surprised.
I am a big fan of Rachmaninoff, and many parts of this entire album has his influence. Debussy's influence is also present. After purchasing the piano scores to this album, I really discovered the unique style of these compositions. In Soliloquy for example, the first score in the collection, I here Debussy's Sunken Cathedral, Preludes Book I toward the finale. You will also find a few wonderful surprises in the remaining scores. They're all great gems of music and each one paints a picture. It's not Debussy, or Rachmaninoff...it's Billy Joel and many of his fans cannot relate to that.
If you are a classical music listener, appreciate it for what it's worth. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. If you are a rock music listener, this would probably be an alien from another planet. At any rate, I think it's great. Hats off to Billy Joel !

D. Stewart

(...)

I recently presented a frank bordering on scathing review of Billy Joel's attempts at serious music. I wish to present the other side of the story.

During the course of my musical education, there was seldom a more enlightening and informative component than the master class. In a small intimate setting, here is where the artist or composer spoke directly to your mind and heart revealing his or her most sincere thoughts about his experiences and intentions as they related to his works.

Yesterday I had my first master class with Billy Joel; it came impromptu style in the form of an unexpected phone call and certainly was unlike any I have experienced to date. I couldn't state with precision who was teacher or student because I found myself learning more than I ever expected about a rock legend who was also man of intense emotional sincerity.

I think I can offer an alternate means of understanding Billy's "Fantasies and Delusions" so I will happily lighten up on my previous words.

I was very touched when Billy told me a primary reason he wrote these pieces to show a love for the composers whose style he emulated. Fantasies and Delusions should be received as his personal tribute to these composers. They should also be understood as Billy's desire to share this appreciation with his fans with the hopes that hearing his Fantasies and Delusions; they might continue to develop further appreciation for serious music. It was more than evident to me that Billy has this passion himself as well as some very sound musical instincts.

Now if Billy can get all his fans to listen to Beethoven, Mozart, and Chopin soon they will be listening to Bartok, Messiaen and Ligeti. Since I have taught music appreciation most of my life, this truly would be a miracle as most students first have to commit to at least some degree of hard core education in order to make the greater part of the genius of these composers accessible to their ears and minds. Once they accept this, the rewards are a hundredfold. But what I think Billy tries to do here is exploit by distilling out the easiest component of music for him to grasp, which is the melody. Let's face it, Billy has been a master of the melodic and lyrical all throughout his career, and this element is his second nature as much as "New York State of Mind" is almost part of the DNA of all New Yorkers.

But to be honest in understanding the significance of melody in any of the great composers works, it is just one of many components and most of the greatest works are not lyrical in nature. Beethoven was rotten at melody as compared to Schubert. Beethoven developed short melodic motifs as part of a far grander structure while Schubert was an uncommon master of developing and evolving melody. In the preponderance of works of either of these men and virtually all the others, melody or melodic motif was just the seed, which they were capable of transforming into a beautiful rose or a magnificent oak tree.

Contrary to what some may think about the long term survival of these masters, it obviously wasn't the anachronism of electronic media via radio or the short term sale of millions of copies of recordings, rather it was the infectious germ of their creativity which implanted in the minds of academics and top performers throughout the generations and centuries. They withstood the daily test of time as music concurrently continued its evolutionary progression. All composers are subjected to criticism in the extreme, and in similar accordance to harsh laws of natural selection, the ones we see today are the ones that survived.

After hearing Billy explain how emotionally significant some of his pieces are, and I in understanding just how much effort he spent to put them to notes, I have to say quoting Schumann: "hats off" to a genuine music lover for venturing with unaffected valiance into this very discriminating region just to share his affections. No Billy isn't rewriting music history with his name placed next to Beethoven's or Schumann's, he's just being himself doing what he loves.

Billy, your first words to me were "one star is too generous, I put eight years of my life into this". I seriously misjudged your intents, and I respect you for telling me so. Solely on the basis of your intent and effort, you have many more this time, and I am polishing the other star for your next offering. Please feel free anytime to pick my brain.... all you wish. And I thank you for taking the time to explain; I considered it an honor.

Sincerely, Greg Savino

As a lifelong fan and fellow East End Long Islander of Mr. Joel, I must say that I am quite surprised, amazed, and completely enthralled by the compositions on his new CD. I am trained in classical piano and am absolutely baffled on how he could write such beautiful, original, classical music. This genre goes to the other side of the spectrum from his already wonderful "popular" music, of which I am such a fan of. I listened to the whole CD, trying to see if there were any strains of his already popular music in the pieces, and I was so relieved that he didn't try to turn his "popular" music into classical. Unlike some other reviews I have read, I have to say that in my opinion, I find that his classical style has hints of Debussy, Beethoven, Chopin, and Bach to it. The CD is such a joy to listen to, and I am so proud of his having taken on a project, and in grand style--succeeding admirably in a completely different musical genre. Mr. Joel has my highest praise, and it is an honor just to listen to his music. From any die hard Billy Joel fan to fans of classical music who do not know his "popular" music, will really enjoy this CD, and will be pleasantly surprised, and keenly aware of his true talent of composition.

Anybody who tells you that Billy Joel has never written classical music for solo piano before simply doesn't know what they're talking about. See "Cold Spring Harbor" - "Nocturne" is a genuine, if amateurish, attempt at romantic classical on an album full of genuine, if amateurish, music.

That having been said - Billy definitely wears his influences on his sleeve. But there's nothing wrong with listening to someone's original music and being able to divine that he enjoys Chopin and Rachmaninoff; in fact, I'm not so sure there's anything truly original left to be said in classical music that would actually fit in the "romantic" genre. I'm purposely writing this review without reading any of the others, because I don't want simply to write one more thread in an argument; all I want to say is that this is enjoyable, sometimes beautiful, music. Billy has some genuine talent for composition, Mr. Joo is skilled at interpreting Billy's music, and I anticipate that this CD will gradually earn a place among the rotation of classical CDs that I enjoy on a regular basis.

I'm not qualified to comment on the technical quality of the music on this CD but I bought it yesterday and it hasn't left my CD player since. It's very pleasant to listen to and it sounds like Mr. Joel has really studied hard and put a great deal of effort into this album. The results are fantastic! I'm already looking forward to his next album!

I'm sure that most everyone has played this game at one time or another: Put on a CD (or LP, so that you really CAN drop the needle) of music from an unexpected source, and then have your friends figure out either (a) what the music is or (b) who is playing it. Or (c) "all of the above."

There was a time - when I spent more time listening to music than I now do - when I was pretty good at this. But I would have failed miserably on this new Billy Joel album. As did a few friends of mine when I recently tried it on them; the album is the "perfect party record" for this game, in fact. One friend (a classically trained pianist who had studied with Rudoph Serkin) had no trouble identifying some of the more obvious influences (Chopin, Schumann, Liszt), but missed (or perhaps by then had thrown in the towel) on others (Bach, Rachmaninoff, Scarlatti, Scriabin). He admitted he would never have figured this for the work of Billy Joel, and was impressed once "the cat was out of the bag."

The fact that this Serkin-trained friend had been first perplexed and then amazed speaks volumes about what Billy Joel has accomplished here (apparently during an eight-year hiatus when he didn't write any pop stuff). Joel deserves a lot of credit for these works, which are more substantial - and more difficult - than they at first appear. And, because these "etudes" are not as simple as one might expect, he also deserves credit for not making this a "vanity" release by endeavoring to perform them himself. His keyboardist of choice - Richard Joo - is quite fine, and more than up to the technical demands, which are far from trivial.

It is all too easy to be dismissive of the effort here, coming as it does from Sony, the label that is "king of classical crossover." The works deserve to be taken seriously; they're really more than a few notches above "just another classical crossover effort." While Joel may have, consciously or otherwise, meant to pay tribute to his earlier musical training, the fact remains that these works stand on their own. And stand up very well under repeated hearings.

Billy Joel's pop-rocker fans may react negatively to this earnest effort on his part to seek fresh musical challenges, and, possibly, find a new audience. But that's not my problem; I enjoyed it immensely.

Finally, I - perhaps like others - was attracted to this release in the first place not because of the music, or the composer, but because of the cover art. Sheer whimsy! And nothing wrong with that, either.

Bob Zeidler