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Pianist, Bill Doherty: Mesmerizing!
by Carol Cohan, Daily Sun
It was a one-man show Wednesday evening. Pianist Bill Doherty, who hardly ever showcases himself as soloist with his new Music LIVE Dinner Shows, played a brilliant recital for the diners at Stonecrest Golf & Country Club.
Billed as “Better than Liberace,” the evening was certainly right on target. Liberace, even in his top performing years, couldn’t hold a candle to Doherty. A variety of Broadway medleys, Joplin rags and classical piano filled the dining room.
For the occasion, Doherty had an eight-foot Yamaha grand piano delivered. The instrument itself was brand new to him, having arrived just before he did. Professional musician as Doherty is, nobody noticed that he didn’t have the opportunity to try it out before the performance.
A variety of tones on the elegantly polished black piano were coaxed out by Doherty. We heard brilliant tones and then subtleties that were played sotto voce. His pedal technique was amazing, especially in the classical pieces, as he brought out the inner voices without overshadowing the melodies.
Doherty began with a medley from “Camelot.” Intricate chordal modulations, dynamics, lush harmonies, transitions and tremolos, all came out beautifully. The piano keyboard wasn’t too tight, so he could really play the nuances he felt at the moment.
The theme song from “Camelot” had a delicate touch, with plenty of rubato passages, glissandos and embellishments. It was as if he were singing the melody to himself. Doherty is a grand master of bringing the melody to life without words. The precision of his lower octave work was outstanding, with the diminished 7ths in the inner voices.
A medley of “Sound of Music” followed in which he rendered a new interpretation of an old favorite. The triples and doubles in the right hand were flawless, whether it was in the upper or lower register. Many of the diners started humming as he started “Edelweiss.” “Climb Every Mountain” closed out the first set and those sitting closest to Doherty’s left side had a close-up view of the powerful octaves in his left hand.
The second set had a more classical flair with Beethoven’s “Fleur d’Elise,” the first movement of Liszt’s “Hungarian Rhapsody in c# minor,” and Joplin’s “The Entertainer and Maple Leaf Rag.” Doherty had great control in the transition sections of the Beethoven and gave a very balanced performance of a real war horse piece.
It was evident from the diners’ attentiveness that Liszt, and the upcoming Chopin were some of their favorites. In particular, the trills, turns and attention to the interludes were superb in the Liszt. The elegy theme in the left hand is extremely difficult to pull off as part of the whole, mainly because the pianist has to use just the right amount of heaviness in the bass line. Doherty started a little tentatively but within the next four to five measures, had given us a very dramatic reading.
After the drama of Liszt, Joplin was a breath of fresh air and Doherty’s arrangement was very enjoyable. All that was missing was his bolo tie, a bowler hat to match and a stand-up bass player in the background. His glissandos were done ala Liberace with much ado and flare, but always in the right places.
Chopin opened the third set with the famous “Nocturne in e minor,” followed by the “Polonnaise in A.” Debussy’s “Claire de Lune” ended a magnificent classical set.
“In the past four to five years, we’ve never had a chance to hear Doherty solo in a classical piano performance Stonecrest resident Kate Noujaim said. “This was a real treat.”
Doherty’s interpretation of Chopin exuded confidence and maturity as he molded the phrases that so many of us take for granted. Highlights were numerous as he delicately handled the most difficult sixteenth note passages with even, consecutive trills and embellishments that were all executed with precision and grace.
The “Polonnaise” was stunning in its presentation. Doherty took his time bringing in the bass while the right hand octave chords were mesmerizing. A very difficult section toward the end, in which he had octave trills in the lower register with both hands, was seamless.
As good as Chopin was, Debussy was even more of a crowd pleaser.
“Claire de Lune” is probably one of the most played pieces by all beginning piano students, after they’ve mastered the basics. It’s simple yet deceivingly hard to accomplish an even tone throughout.
Doherty gave us a breathtaking performance that was only marred by the middle register beginning to lose its pitch. It wouldn’t have been possible to “stop the show” and do another tuning on the newly arrived piano, but thankfully there were only a few keys that were out of tune.
The last set had a surprise. Doherty shared with the audience that many of them had requested he sing, and much to everyone’s surprise, he dusted off his own rendition of “Sara Lee,” a spoof on the delicacies the company makes. The lyrics were silly, with many puns and tongue-in-cheek expressions. Doherty carried it brilliantly, accompanying himself on the piano in true cabaret fashion.
Before the last piece, “God Bless America” by Irving Berlin, arranged by Sousa, Doherty went back to the classics one more time. He dedicated the Bach-Gounod arrangement of “Ave Maria,” to the late Pope John Paul.
The audience gave Doherty several standing ovations. For an encore, he played “Danny Boy,” which he dedicated to his father who was in attendance.
The next Music Live! performance at Stonecrest will be April 27. The theme is “Broadway, Pop and timeless Standards.” Tickets are available by calling 245-1061.
Carol Cohan is a freelance writer for the Daily Sun. She can be reached at ccohan3@comcast.net
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