Hill and Hollow Music

The accomplished young Vera Quartet are truly in the springtime of their career. Visiting Saranac for the first time on September 29, they offered a terrific program, starting with Haydn’s Opus 76 in G Major and followed by the Ravel Quartet in F Major. On paper, the second half appeared a little sketchy: four individual movements from four quartets by Schubert, Schnittke, Auerbach, and Beethoven – what was up with that? Apparently it was required repertoire for a competition they had recently participated in, and they discovered that it hung together startlingly well. It was successful, too, for our audience in that it offered great variety – instead of only three composers, we heard six! 

The Veras spent a day in the Peru Central School District, conducting workshops with middle and high school string students. The students were fabulously receptive to the quartet, eager to listen and learn. The intensive school day concluded with a live performance and Q & A by the Vera Quartet, which the beginning string students from the intermediate school were invited to attend, along with the older students. It was very cool to be a string player that day and be released from other classes!

The Vera Quartet then hit the road back to Philadelphia, where they are currently quartet-in-residence at the Curtis Institute, as well as under the wing of Astral Artists, whose competition they won in 2018.  Undoubtedly we will hear more from this exciting young quartet, as they are sure soon to be in demand on concert series everywhere.

Over 200 attended the b-b-b-Big Bash on Saturday, August 10th at Weatherwatch Farm. There was a dramatic moment at the outset, when a squall roared through, sweeping tablecloths off the tables and overturning the flower vases, jeezum crow! All rallied to hang sidewalls around the tent, as quick as you could say “Jack Robinson.” Then sun came out, and the party began in earnest!

Inora Brass played for an extended happy hour while folks chatted with friends, strolled the grounds, bid on cool stuff in the silent auction, and bought raffle tickets for various gift cards. It did not take long for 100 bottles of wine to disappear in the wine pull. We dined well on smokey BBQ by Joe Lewis, with special treats provided by Louise Laplante, Josh Vaillancourt, Jerry Rambach, and Wayne LaPier. Steve Martin called the live auction during dessert. Finally, as dark descended, Curley Taylor and Zydeco Trouble came onstage to play, and we danced the night away……

Big heartfelt thanks go out to all who attended and participated in the fund-raising games, as well as to those who sent donations in lieu of attending. Deep appreciation, too, for the generosity of our sponsors. We had 100% participation by our board, plus numerous volunteers working the event. Together it all added up to a major success. Thank you all so very much!

“Perfectly imperfect.” Totally intriguing.” “Most luxuriant.” “The natural beauty of baroque pearls is derived from their superb luster and irregular, yet beautiful silhouettes. The unique, organic shapes of these exquisite pearls make them a constant marvel to behold, each jewel a conversation piece.”

The above description might also apply to the recent concert by Ensemble Caprice. At first glance the program might have seemed to be a list of familiar composers and a hodgepodge of short works strung together. But what a magnificent string of pearls! The program was actually conceived to tell a series of stories – rather intimate love stories – wherein each (there were eight) told about an aspect of or an event in the relationship of the composer and his lady-love or muse. And there was a common thread linking the stories – that of eternal love transcending time and space.

The eloquent spoken introductions of Matthias Maute and his poetic gestures with red roses set the stage for a most compelling musical drama, brought to life by Matthias Maute and Sophie Larivière on recorders, Susie Napper on baroque cello, and Ziya Tabassian on a variety of percussion instruments. Each artist a superb virtuoso soloist in his and her own right, playing together in a tight-knit ensemble and totally in the moment, proved that the whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts. And now we know firsthand why Ensemble Caprice is considered one of the pre-eminent early music ensembles of our time. It was an stunning performance!

The joint was jumpin’ with two excellent shows Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon. Ray Vega has assembled a first-rate ensemble with some of Vermont’s finest jazz musicians: Brian McCarthy on alto saxophone, Mike Hartigan on piano, Giovanni Rovetto on bass, Caleb Bronz on drums, Scott Dean on congas and percussion, and Vega himself on trumpet, flugelhorn, and percussion. The program was combination of standards and originals by Vega and members of the band.  Vega is a master of engaging banter, too. One standout moment, particularly poignant, was his remembrance of trombonist Rick Davies, a beloved friend, colleague, and member of the greater jazz community who passed two years ago, followed by a performance of one of Rick’s tunes.  Snowy roads kept a lot of folks from venturing out to Saranac, but the intrepid faithful who showed up were wildly enthusiastic and vocal. And yes, there was dancing in the aisles!

And a salute to the hearty North Country community for their pure grit! Snow and ice did not deter a good-sized enthusiastic crowd from coming out for two fabulous concerts by the French-Canadian traditional music duo of Alexis Chartrand and Nicolas Babineau. The musicians put a distinctly contemporary spin on the old tunes – an extravagant array of reels – they collected from Francophone communities in the far reaches of eastern Quebec and the maritime provinces of Canada. Both are virtuoso fiddlers, having started very young with rigorous classical training. Nicolas on guitar was alternately ethereally poetic and fiercely rhythmic, while Alexis tapped out complex driving rhythmic patterns with his feet from pianissimo to fortiss-iss-issimo! Just when you thought he must be exhausted and could do it no longer, Alexis ramped it up even more energetically with hidden reserves of power. Mélissandre Bourassa-Tremblay added a potent visual element with some dynamic step-dancing, heavily influenced by her ballet and modern dance training. Alexis and Nicolas also dared to play some very quiet and slow sustained songs – enticing and captivating the ear with calm and touching interludes – islands of peace in a high-energy kinetic sea.

The duo was with us for a week-long residency. During their first days they hunkered down to work on new arrangements of the repertoire they had recently collected. They are keen to record this new material, their first recording having been nominated “Best Traditional Album” at the Canadian Folk Music Awards. They also spent two days working in schools: with French language classes at the Saranac Middle and High Schools and with grade 4 and 5 music classes at the Saranac Elementary School. An intense busy week!

This concert was rather unusual in that it was a traditional violin recital featuring standard repertoire. Outmoded? You must be kidding! Think retro. Think vintage. And like vinyl, cool again!  Arturo Delmoni delivered the quintessential virtuoso violin recital, partnered by the superb pianist Li-Pi Hsieh. It was utterly refreshing in that there were no gimmicks, no quotas to fill.  It was simply great music played with superlative technique and supreme expression. One of our friends commented that Arturo plays so naturally, it’s as if he was born holding a violin.

His program opened with Sonata in E Major by Pugnani and was followed by Beethoven’s beloved Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Major, “Spring.”  Then came Grieg’s lesser known Violin Sonata No. 2 in G Major, a stunningly beautiful work that drew the audience to its feet.  Following intermission came Hexapoda: Five Studies in Jitteroptera, a delightful suite of five jazzy pieces written by Robert Russell Bennett in 1940 sporting such titles as “Gut-Bucket Gus,” “Jim Jives,” and “___Till Dawn Sunday.” Of course, no proper virtuoso violin concert would be complete without a set favorite short works, and Arturo Delmoni did not disappoint. He chose Hungarian Dance in f minor (Brahms-Kreisler), Song Without Words, “Sweet Remembrance” (Mendelssohn-Heifetz), Legend of the Canyon (Cadman), Claire de Lune (Debussy), Mazurka, “Dudiarz” (Wieniawski), and Valse-Scherzo, Op. 34 (Tchaikovsky).  Naturally, an encore was demanded, and Arturo offered Prighiera of Heifetz, so touchingly played, we were nearly reduced   to tears.

New York Polyphony’s concert “Faith and Reason” was all that we hoped for, and more!  Presenting them in Redford’s Church of the Assumption was spot-on.  The precious old stone church has cathedral-like resonance, and the voices rang out and floated in the air.  The vocal blend was miraculous, while each of the four singularly beautiful voices remained distinctive and strong throughout.  It is clear why New York Polyphony enjoys a reputation as one of the finest vocal chamber ensembles in the world.

The program’s juxtaposition of ancient music with contemporary composition was brilliant. Thomas Tallis’s 16^th-century Mass for Four Voices was flanked by short works of Andrew Smith (b. 1970) and Gabriel Jackson (b. 1962), Kyrie and Ite Missa est, respectively, both composed especially for New York Polyphony. The second half was devoted to Gregory Brown’s Missa Charles Darwin, commissioned by New York Polyphony. Using the traditional structure of the Latin mass as framework, Brown set excerpts of Darwin’s writings. It is a very successful, thought-provoking work, not least because the texts, while beautiful and poetic in and of themselves, are very pertinent to our concerns today about the environment. The concert concluded with Three American Folk Hymns arranged by Gregory Brown.  We had a great turnout of 150 – ran out of programs and cookies;-)

We were delighted to welcome Emerald Trio back for their second residency (the first having been in 2015, when they recorded Big Green Apple, their debut disc of all-new works composed especially for them, released last year to glowing reviews). This residency was all about breaking in a new pianist and work-shopping a new piece commissioned by Hill and Hollow Music for Emerald Trio. Composer-pianist James Sheppard wrote (pretty much on-site at Harvey House) a collection of five Adirondack-inspired miniatures that captured many moods and conjured many colorful images: “Adirondack Run,” “Saranac Shimmers,” “Alone Mountain,” “Farmers’ Duet,” and “Night Time Whiskey.” The premiere performance was enthusiastically received – the audience loved it!  We know that it will be programmed a lot on future Emerald Trio concerts.

Other works performed also deserve a mention. True to their mission, the Emeralds champion under-exposed worthy composers from the past. They played a beautiful suite by Mel (née Mélanie) Bonis (1858-1937), a little known contemporary of Ravel. A protégée of César Franck, Bonis published over 300 works as “Mel” Bonis because women composers were not taken seriously in that period.  The Trio also played works by T.O. Sterrett (b. 1953), Howard Cass (b. 1989), and Alessandro Annunziata (b. 1968), demonstrating their commitment to contemporary chamber music and building the repertoire for their ensemble’s instrumentation of flute, violin/viola, and piano.  It was a well-designed program, beautifully played, and thoroughly enjoyed!

We were privileged to be host for an off-campus concert by advanced students of the renowned Meadowmount School of Music. The program began with Weilu Zhang playing two movements of the Sonata for Solo Violin in A minor, BWV 1003 by J.S. Bach.  Then followed the exquisite Ravel Trio in A Minor with Liam Kaplan, piano; Nanao Yamada, violin; and Jeremy Tai, cello.  After intermission Jeremy Tai performed a movement Kodaly’s wildly virtuosic Sonata for Solo Cello, Op. 8.  The concert’s glorious culmination was Schumann’s Quartet for Piano and Strings, Op. 47, with Matthew Harikian, piano; Weilu Zhang; violin; Aaron Rosengaus, viola; and Luiz Venturelli, cello.

Founded in the Adirondacks in 1944 by the legendary Russian violinist and pedagogue Ivan Galamian, the school soon became – and continues to be today – a pre-eminent summer program for young musicians training for a professional career in music. Meadowmount offers a bucolic environment with a balance between the enjoyment of nature and the pursuit of high art.  Individual instruction in the solo repertoire, participation in weekly master classes, guest artist master classes, and involvement in a chamber group coached by both the piano and string faculties provide for a tremendous amount of growth.   Alumni of Meadowmount have won every major competition worldwide, and are among the very best of international soloists and chamber musicians, concertmasters and principal players of the world’s leading orchestras, and the distinguished artist-teachers in every major university and conservatory.  Among hundreds of distinguished artists who attended Meadowmount in their youth are Joshua Bell, Lynn Harrell, Soovin Kim, Jaime Laredo, Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Arnold Steinhardt, Pinchas Zuckerman.

Classical violinist Jonathan Aceto brought out his ZETA electric violin for a great turnout at Weatherwatch Farm.  He played two fascinating contemporary works for MIDI violin, background tape, and visuals: the hair-raising SAMPLER: Everything Goes When the Whistle Blows by Salvatore Martirano, inspired by the 1985 terrorist hijacking of the Achille Lauro cruise ship; and the otherworldly Desert Voices by Priscilla McLean, with a slideshow of photos of the Sonoran Desert, where many of the sounds on the background tape were recorded. In between, an aural  “palate cleanser,” Jonathan played the “Sarabande” from J.S. Bach’s unaccompanied Suite No. 3 in C with Grand Canyon reverb.

But to get everyone primed for the concert beforehand, the McLeans had created an interactive installation that utilized world music, sounds of nature, intriguing experimental techniques, and projected images. Small groups of 3 to 5 entered into a darkened room to experience, create, and manipulate music and sounds. Later, to round out the evening was a screening of Rainforest Images II, the evocative music-video by Barton and Priscilla McLean based on their adventures in Borneo, Malaysia, and Costa Rica.  All the while there was plentiful eating and drinking – all good fun, punctuated with many beautiful, uplifting moments.