Chris Stanbury
Chris Stanbury
January 2nd 2010
Vienna Night
With flowers hung on arches, in baskets and cascades, the stage provided a beautiful backdrop for the first concert of the New Year, our 7th Vienna Night Spectacular starring Chris Stanbury.
Many associate Vienna with the waltz but the dance was not always considered to be decent and regarded as 'too loose of character for maidens to perform'! With no 'loose women' in sight, Chris in a very smart black suit opened with a march by Josef Schrammel entitled Vienna Forever, to a delicious cerise backdrop. Next up we heard Vienna Life, a waltz by Johann Strauss. From an Operetta by Franz Lehár, Chris then played The Merry Widow waltz. Changing the mood, we heard The Thunder and Lightning Polka with Keith's blue/green backdrop complete with lightning flashes.
Playing the Yamaha Stagea, one of only two in the country, Chris produced a lovely waltz called the Voices of Spring with superb orchestral strings. Next up, from the composer Franz Liszt, who was strongly influenced by Hungarian gypsy music, came the stirring Hungarian Rhapsody No2.
Johann Strauss's Annen Polka also known as the Tipsy Song was played against a nice rainbow background, smashing. Many of us will recognise the name of Richard Tauber and Chris played a song that Tauber sang, a beautiful waltz entitled Vienna City of my Dreams. With a stunning violet setting Chris played Tales from the Vienna Woods composed in 1868 by J Strauss II.
On to a vibrant polka called Bahn Frei or 'track clear'. Chris chose a whistle and orchestral strings to recreate Eduard Strauss's playful piece. To follow we heard the march-like Emperor Waltz. The Poet and Peasant Overture by Franz von Suppé brought the first half to a close and a welcome hot drink as the heating had gone off in the hall!
With Our circulation restored we returned to our seats to be treated to Wine, Women and Song and then Roses from the South followed by An Artists Life. One Day When We Were Young from the Gypsy Baron by Strauss came next with a lovely green and orange backdrop. With full use of the Stagea's pizzicato strings Chris gave us, well the Pizzicato Polka of course! By Johannes Brahms. The Hungarian Dance No5 was next, using a lively gypsy violin.
A selection of songs from the Sound of Music had us swaying in our seats before Chris switched to a novel song Perpetuum Mobile a real hand clapper. Franz Schubert's March Militaire was to follow with great orchestral sounds. The lively Trish Trash Polka was next which translates to chit-chat polka and may reflect the Viennese passion for gossip!
Composed in 1866 the lovely Blue Danube was played to us with a beautiful blue background, naturally. Next, Chris changed an old Basildon Keyboard Club tradition by playing the Radetzky March, normally requested as an encore. Never mind, after not a lot of arm twisting, Chris duly obliged us with Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance March better known perhaps as Land of Hope and Glory.