By R.M. CAMPBELL
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER MUSIC CRITIC
Fame is transitory.
Edith Piaf, among the most famous of the famous, is now
largely forgotten. The bright, brassy holler of her
voice trembling with passion and anguish of
her songs are relics of another day.
Or so it would seem.
In her time, Edith Piaf was one of those monstres sacrés the
French embrace so openly. Writing in the New Yorker, Janet
Flanner described Piaf's last performance at the Olympia
Theatre in Paris:
"Ravaged, ill, bundled in her customary modest black
dress, her pallid little moon face set in its sad nocturnal
smile, she tottered . . . across the stage
to the microphone, to which she clung, and then her voice,
that great remnant of her life, burst forth. . . . She was the
unassailable artist. . . ."
Nothing so life-wrenching happened Saturday night at Benaroya
Hall during Raquel Bitton's homage to Piaf. She, too, wore a
modest black dress, with no
jewelry, her pale face wrapped in a pixie haircut. Her hands
large and expressive and her steps small but determined, the
diminutive Bitton summoned the ghost of this legendary French
artist.
Bitton is not Piaf, nor does she want to be, but in assuming
the role of a singer, reviving her name and reputation, she
has become a little like Piaf.
Some of the gestures are there, but not too many. Bitton is
theatrical but in a carefully calibrated way.
Her voice is not a pretty instrument; it can be raucous and
harsh, with a wobble hidden within. There are no smooth
phrases with which to spin lyricism but short, punchy ones to
deliver a message. All that is in keeping with Piaf, who was
never about pretty. She was about life -- the transport of joy
and the rawness of grief. So, too, Bitton.
MUSIC REVIEW
Raquel Bitton. "Edith Piaf -- Her Story, Her Songs."
Saturday night at Benaroya Hall.
An expert of French popular song from this century, Bitton has
a keen sense on how to put Piaf into an accessible context
without overdoing the tumult of the singer's life. The 26
songs in the program were neatly divided into early years and
later years, with the most celebrated tunes in the latter half
of the show. And the near-capacity audience knew exactly what
those famous tunes
were; one could hear the rustle of recognition in the house.
It was wise for Bitton to chat up the audience with details of
Piaf's biography and vignettes of her life. The stories neatly
dovetailed with the songs, heard in glossy arrangementsby Bob
Holloway.
Bitton was backed by a 20-piece orchestra, led by Bill Keck,
composed of Seattle musicians. Not everything went smoothly --
little rehearsal shy,
perhaps -- but the job got done. Worth noting are
concertmaster Leonid Keylin and the indispensable accordion
player, Diane Schmidt.
end.
FAN NOTES:
Congratulations, Mme. Bitton, on bringing the music and
spirit of Edith Piaf to Seattle last night. A relatively new
passion of mine, I have devoured the
music and media regarding Piaf, and was delighted to be one of
the attendees of last evening's event. Your passion for the
music, the way the phrases
flow, and the intense emotionalism were astounding - and,
frankly, during a particularly magical moment in "Mon
Dieu," one could almost imagine Piaf looking down from
the ethers of this magnificent hall to smile a sly grin in
honor of such beautiful music and magnificent
interpretation. I feel fortunate to carry the memory of
this concert, merci beaucoup!
Kelvin Richardson
Thank you for a wonderful
performance!
My husband and I attended your show at Benaroya Hall (Seattle)
last night. The show was magnificent! We felt you
brought Edith Piaf to life, right before our eyes.
Thank you,Elinor Appel & Michael Rockhold
Dear Ms. Bitton:
Your performance tonight in Seattle was an experience of a
lifetime. I remember when I first discovered Piaf in the
mid 1980s, thinking,
darn, why couldn't I have been born earlier? You've captured
(and improved upon) the essence so well that I no longer
feel cheated.
Thank you for a fantastic evening, and best wishes.
Regards
Greg Metzger
|
