----------------------------------------------------- JANUARY 5, 2002 ----------------------------------------------------- Source: Progfreaks http://www.progfreaks.com/Reviews/Reviewed/RickWakeman-ClassicalVariations.htm Rick Wakeman - Classical Variations By Marcelo Silveyra Rick Wakeman. The very mention of the name will either leave people in astonished gasps of reverential respect or send them into an ill-conceived burst of snickering and stifled laughs. This is the man that recorded what many consider the best material of Yes ever, the man that was seen countless times wearing glitzy capes on stage, the man whose blond hair swayed to and fro in ecstatic pulses of keyboard passion, and the man whom critics loved to write off as ridiculously pretentious. He may very well be one of the most adequate symbols of what progressive rock once used to be, and no one, whether friend or foe, can dare challenge his status as an unshakable foundation of the genre. And it is thus that it happened, just like it had to. Wakeman has decided to release a solo piano album concentrating on a collection of variations of his own device for such classical music luminaries as Beethoven, Händel, Saint-Saëns, and Dvorák. Yet another undeniable open target for those who have permanently added him to their black list, but for those with fairness and good will in their heart a beautiful and touching statement from a musician who humbly concedes that "it is the strength and musicality of the original compositions that enables such an exercise to be undertaken." The question remaining, of course, is whether Classical Variations should be reviewed from a classical music perspective or not. And it is a fundamental question, as the results vary depending on how Wakeman's efforts are considered and the musical knowledge and tastes of the listener. And perhaps being all too brash and brazen, one must immediately acknowledge the fact that classical music purists will almost surely find this record not worth their time when there are gorgeously vivid renditions of the original classics by pianists of the highest stature, such as Vladimir Horowitz, Daniel Barenboim, and Ivo Pogorelich. The mere fact that Wakeman's variation of the "Pathétique" sonata only includes its second movement will surely irk Beethoven aficionados enough to stay away, for instance. But seen through more forgiving or less purist eyes, Classical Variations is a velvet display of Wakeman's unique, respectful, and emotional interpretations of the classics that confers them a relatively more accessible nature and removes some of their imposing drama and seriousness in order to grant them a different nature of peacefulness. And although the variations seem to drown the regal majesty of Händel and leave his pristine clarity confounded, they work like a charm with Romantic pieces, which constitute the vast majority of Classical Variations. Particularly on Beethoven's "Pathétique," Mendelssohn's "O, for the Wings of a Dove," Fauré's "Pavane," and the surging E minor passage of "Variations on the New World Symphony," Wakeman's gentility adorns the pieces with a certain whimsical prettiness that is quite intimate and personal, as if the listener were exposed to the reactions of Wakeman's heart to such pieces. Perhaps the most adequate listener for Classical Variations is one with a marginal or relatively amateurish interest in classical music, one who wishes to hear how one of progressive rock's preeminent keyboardists treats such timeless works, or one for whom classical music seems too distant and eloquent. Wakeman's faultless style does indeed express its intentions with undeniable skill and fluidity, but it is unfortunately lacking of the heightened sense of power and precision that the best classical interpreters rely on and thus is, as already mentioned, best considered as the work of a man honoring some of his most beloved composers than that of a pianist aspiring to join the ranks of the world's most distinguished. Again, however, do not mistake this for lack of emotion or prowess, as Wakeman certainly does not lack them and the listener who is relatively inexperienced in the world of classical music will surely find great pleasure in listening to this album. As for Wakeman fanatics…well, there's really no need to tell you that you have to get this as soon as possible, is there? Close Window YesInThePress.com For site comments, problems, corrections, or additions, contact YesinthePress@aol.com