It didn't take me long to place it. Listen to the main theme to Billy Joel's "Leningrad" and compare:
An unsourced Wikipedia article supports my hunch that the violin concerto inspired Joel's theme. It would make sense to pay homage to Russian composer Tchaikovsky in a song about the Soviet Union.
These days I find myself defending Billy Joel more often than not. Since the turn of the century Joel has been artistically unproductive, struggling with alcoholism, balding and gaining weight. He is a far cry from the superstar who once topped the charts dove off pianos and married a supermodel.
But it is important, I think, not to conflate Billy Joel the man with Billy Joel the legend. We all grow old and fight our demons. Joel's legacy is a fingerprint on pop music so ubiquitous that it is easy to miss. Very few musicians have a single hit song, let alone 33 Top 40 hits (and 13 Top 10), spanning three decades. There are only a handful of artists with as many universally recognizable songs that continue to inspire and entertain new generations. I have taught the chords to "Big Shot" to a budding young piano student and recently played "Just the Way You Are" for an elderly couple's 65th anniversary.
I speak as someone who practically learned to play piano from Billy Joel. I spent much of my teens transcribing and learning every Joel song I could possibly learn. And because of the diversity in his writing, I was indirectly exposed to a wide variety of chords, techniques and styles. Billy Joel draws from many different sources and is able to synthesize and compose in the styles adeptly - from fast bebop with Freddie Hubbard to his impressively convincing romantic-style piano works.
Which brings me back to Tchaikovsky. It wouldn't be the first time Joel borrowed from the masters; the chorus to "This Night" (one of my favorites) is quite transparently based on Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata Op. 13, second movement. Some might make the case that Billy Joel is derivative, to which I would argue that all art is derivative. He may not be stylistically consistent, but Joel's songwriting talent is undeniable and his songs are unique. If anyone can name another artist who has successfully merged Doo-wop and Beethoven, I'm all ears.
So what is to like about Leningrad? For starters, it is refreshing to see a pop artist tackle geopolitics. While I doubt many would call Joel "edgy," the Cold War was a hot topic in the 1980s. (before it Rocky Balboa personally ended it with his fists in 1985) Soviet-US relations were big deal at the time and Billy Joel jumped right in. I find it respectable that he looked outward for meaningful subject matter in his songs rather than being self-absorbed like so many other pop stars.
Musically speaking, the opening theme is the best part of the song in my opinion. The parallel minor bridge is also interesting and dramatic. But perhaps the best moment is the big ending, where the song unexpectedly modulates from D to A Major to repeat the Tchaikovsky-inspired theme. There is no logical reason to do this, but it certainly sounds bigger for the finish. It also brings the theme up to the key (A Major) where it is originally stated by the orchestra in the Tchaikovsky. So both pieces are in D, and both state the theme in A. I doubt that was an accident.
I also very much enjoy the counterpoint in the main theme. There's something very satisfying about the way the inner voice moves in the 4th and 5th measures here, and how the melody becomes a Bach-like series of suspensions and resolutions:
It's easy to make jokes about Billy Joel crashing cars, and I will concede that some of his material has not stood the test of time. But his contribution to pop culture and musicians everywhere is hard to overstate. I feel that most people don't truly appreciate the breadth of this impact, but will really miss him when he's gone. I know I will.
No comments:
Post a Comment