Two grand pianos will be prominently placed centerstage and seated at them will be two stars from different worlds: Michael Feinstein, the entertainer who is a one-man encyclopedia of the Great American Songbook, and Jean Yves-Thibaudet, the French concert pianist whose wide repertoire ranges from Liszt to Debussy to Gershwin. And Gershwin is where these two gentlemen meet in their new program, Two Pianos: Who Could Ask for Anything More?, which they will perform with the Boston Pops Orchestra, under the baton of Keith Lockhart, at Symphony Hall and Tanglewood. They will do duets, solos, vocals, and works with the orchestra, featuring the music not only of George Gershwin, but of Richard Rodgers, Irving Berlin, and Leonard Bernstein, among others.
“Jean-Yves and I have known each other for a number of years socially and even spoke previously about doing something professionally together,” recalled Michael Feinstein. “I have such a deep admiration for his talent and, also, for his humanity and his kindness and his love of life in a way that comes through in his work and his music.”
They both were performing at the Napa Festival in the summer of 2021 when they reconnected. Over the course of several dinners, the two hatched the idea of doing this program. “Jean-Yves, of course, has the incredible flexibility with what he does and embraces all different kinds of music that push the boundaries of the concert repertoire,” said Feinstein. “And I'm always trying to push boundaries in what I do. So, we felt that it would be artistically something that would be good for both of us.”
“I have the greatest admiration for him,” said Thibaudet of Feinstein. “We thought it would be so great, and I just always dream of doing projects where I can incorporate some other possibilities for me, so enriching and so much fun.”
Thibaudet’s discography not only includes compositions of the standard classical repertoire, but he’s also recorded albums of music by jazz greats Bill Evans and Duke Ellington. “I discovered jazz when I was, I think, 16 or 17. I was in Paris at the conservatory,” recalled Thibaudet. “And then jazz became very important. Then, I also moved to New York in the eighties, and in New York I was going out to all these beautiful piano bars where people were singing, and I kind of got to know all the songs that became part of my life; a lot of Gershwin, the Concerto, the Rhapsody, ‘I Got Rhythm.’ I also accompanied singers. So, we were doing some of this literature. I feel comfortable with it. And I love it.”
Over the past two years, Feinstein and Thibaudet met, when their schedules allowed, to work on developing the program. “If anything, we had too much material,” said Thibaudet, laughing. “We could have done, like, five shows!”
Of course, Michael Feinstein brings his personal knowledge and scholarship to the project. As a young man, he worked for Ira Gershwin in Hollywood and helped organize his papers. So, the program will feature a couple of Gershwin medleys—one that begins with part of Rhapsody in Blue and goes into several songs, some of which Feinstein will sing, and finishes with Rhapsody in Blue. Another medley, called The Unknown Gershwin, features some of the music that Feinstein had access to in Ira Gershwin’s archive, as well as music from the RKO Pictures archive, including “French Ballet Class,” which was played in the background of the film Shall We Dance?, “Promenade (Walking the Dog),” orchestrated by Gershwin for the same movie, and the world premiere of a previously unknown melody by Gershwin. And Jean-Yves Thibaudet will play the electric final movement of Concerto in F with the Pops.
Another highlight of the show will be a medley of Richard Rodgers waltzes. “I play waltzes from Strauss, from Ravel,” said Thibaudet. And he thinks Rodgers’ waltzes are just as good. “They write great music, great tunes.”
The piano and orchestral arrangements by Ted Firth give both artists an opportunity to strut their stuff—there are moments where Feinstein is able to improvise at the keyboard and other moments where Thibaudet can show off his formidable pianistic skills.
Part of Michael Feinstein’s charm as a performer is the way he effortlessly shares stories and historical facts with the audience. And he’s convinced Thibaudet to do the same. “We have stories that we share,” said Feinstein. “And it’s fun for people to get a sense that Jean-Yves halfway around the world, grew up loving Gershwin, as did I in Ohio. And the bond of that music that brought us together is fun to talk about and explore.”
While Thibaudet was initially nervous about speaking from the stage, he discovered he really liked talking directly to the audience, as the pair tried out the program in Palm Desert. “I mean, it’s fun,” he said. “It’s a show. It should be entertaining!”
When asked about the program, Pops conductor Keith Lockhart could barely contain his enthusiasm: "What a great idea for a concert! Jean-Yves Thibaudet, one of the great pianists of our time, Michael Feinstein, an extraordinary musician who is the true curator of the American Songbook, and the Boston Pops join forces to celebrate the immortal music of George Gershwin and others in his orbit. I can't wait to spend time on stage with all of these amazing performers, bringing some of our most treasured music to life. Who could ask for anything more?
Jeff Lunden is a freelance arts reporter and radio producer whose work is featured on NPR and other public radio outlets. He is also a theater composer whose adaptation of Arthur Kopit’s Wings (with Arthur Perlman) played at New York’s Public Theater and the Goodman Theater in Chicago.
