PREVIEW: Aston Magna Music Festival

Mahaiwe, Great Barrington, MA        

http://astonmagna.org

by Michael J. Moran 

The mission of Aston Magna, founded in 1972, is to enrich the appreciation of music of the past and the understanding of the cultural, political, and social contexts in which it was composed and experienced. Aston Magna seeks to inter­pret the music of the past as the composer imagined it. 

On Saturday, June 25, at 7:00 pm, they will present a program entitled “The Devil Is in the Tales,” at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, 14 Castle Street, Great Barrington, MA. The program will consist of two pieces: Alessandro Scarlatti’s 1706 oratorio “Humanita e Lucifero” for two voices and ensemble; and Igor Stravinsky’s 1918 theater piece “A Soldier’s Tale” for three actors and seven instruments.   

Tenor Frank Kelly

Both works feature the struggle between personifications of good and evil. Scarlatti pits the Virgin Mary against Lucifer, and Stravinsky dramatizes Satan’s Faustian bargaining for the soul of an innocent soldier. Both composers and their librettists were looking over their shoulders towards the medieval morality play, in which the existential contests between the forces of light and dark play out in stark, primary colors. 

Featured vocalists include soprano Kristen Watson, tenor Frank Kelly, and baritone David McFerrin as the Devil. A pre-concert talk will be held at 6:15 pm, with Aston Magna Artistic Director Daniel Stepner. 

Tickets may be purchased by phone at (413) 528-0100 or online at the Mahaiwe website.

REVIEW: Aston Magna Music Festival: Pachelbel/Vivaldi/Bach/Villa Lobos

Aston Magna Music Festival, St. James Place, Great Barrington, MA

www.astonmagna.org

July 27, 2019

By Karoun Charkoudian

This beautiful July evening at Aston Magna showcased virtuosic soloists against a varying chamber baroque orchestra. The orchestra included a mix of period instruments that changed throughout the program -- violins, viola, bass, harpsichord, flute, and cello. Though it’s not common to hear Baroque music performed with unique period instruments, this has been Aston Magna’s specialty for decades. Saint James Place with its vaulted ceiling and cushioned pews provided an ideal intimate setting for this concert.

The evening opened with Pachelbel’s Canon and Gigue in D Major. Though the Canon is so commonly heard, this performance was nothing like the average chamber group playing for a wedding. This piece was played by a beautiful combination of harpsichord, two violins, a viola, and a cello. The performance was passionate and lyrical.

Next, Aldo Abreu delighted the audience as the soloist in a Vivaldi concerto, on a sopranino recorder (small and high-pitched). He stood at the center of the six-person chamber orchestra, faced the audience squarely, and made eye contact while playing. Nothing like a third-grade recorder class, Abreu is a virtuoso, fingers flying, tonguing pristine, and in the Larghetto he brought out impressive tone and depth for such a small instrument. For an encore he played an even smaller recorder, reminiscent of a tin whistle; tonguing and fingering was fast and furious, and to perfection.

Another highlight of the evening was hearing the baroque flute, a rare instrument, in both the Bach Cantata and Villa Lobos’ Bachianas Brasilieras. Christopher Kreuger’s playing added a contrasting sound, deep rich and woody, to the group made up of mostly string instruments. 

Kristen Watson, soprano

In the final piece, Lobos’ Bachianas Brasileiras, the Cantilena movement began and ended with the soprano soloist singing without words. The violins played pizzicato, and the solo was handed between the vocalist, the violinist, and the cellist. At the conclusion of the Cantilena, the vocalist sang with her mouth closed, humming, but with greater depth. The sound was so ethereal -- it was hard to differentiate between the string instrument, and the voice -- disorienting and mystical. The audience sat in relaxed reverie throughout the performance.

REVIEW: Aston Magna Music Festival: Beethoven Septet, Mozart Quartet, Bernhard Romberg Trio

Aston Magna Music Festival, St. James Place, Great Barrington, MA

www.astonmagna.org

July 14, 2018

By Barbara Stroup

For Aston Magna’s fourth offering this season, Director and violinist Daniel Stepner programmed a rich program of selections from three Classical and early Romantic composers in an instrumental program of enchanting variety and secure musicianship.

Mozart’s Quartet in B Flat gave Mr. Stepner and clarinetist Eric Hoeprich an exchange of lines and melodies that were sweet and soaring. This reviewer would be content to just hear scales from Mr. Hoeprich – his sound is so pleasing. The definitive first movement was followed by a lush, transporting Andante that was moving but not sentimental. After the bouncing happiness of the third movement rondo, the quartet received its first rousing thank you from the audience.

But there was much more to come. A Trio by Bernhard Romberg hints broadly at the Romantic era and featured cellist Jacques Lee Wood. Described as a “difficult” work by its name, this piece allowed Mr. Wood’s virtuosity to shine and at times, it even showcased the usually reclusive sound of the viola played so well by David Miller. Supported by the sensitively present bass playing of Anne Trout, a frequent consort member at Aston Magna, the piece revealed a lesser-known but worthwhile composer of the late Classical and early Romantic era.

Regarding the Septet that closed the program, we may all share some relief that the composer’s advice was not followed. Beethoven said, “Burn this!” to lament what he considered the work’s over-popularity, but the six-movement piece is another testament to the variety of his amazing compositional skill. The post-intermission offering brought all seven instrumentalists to the stage; it offers virtuosic opportunity for the violin, trio work for the strings, a reflection of a keyboard piece known to most piano students, a march tempo theme with many variations, and several opportunities to hear the horn, the bassoon and the clarinet played so beautifully. How often does that happen?

The writing for this combination of instruments --- strings, reeds, wind – is just magnificent and it was matched by the accomplished musicians on the stage. Thank you to these masters of their art for bringing these sounds to St. James Place.

REVIEW: Aston Magna Festival, "Baroque Cornucopia”

Aston Magna Festival, Great Barrington, MA

www.astonmagna.org

June 23, 2018

by Barbara Stroup

Coolness: weather - and performance. On an unseasonal cool afternoon, a stellar ensemble assembled by Music Director Daniel Stepner presented a performance that mixed old and new, reeds and strings, vocal and plucked sounds in a pleasing tour of music from 1685 to 2018. Including a world premier by a living composer on a program of Bach, Handel and Telemann put all four composers in the best possible company, surely a delight to the youthful Alex Burtzos, on hand for this first performance of his work.

Lacking, however, was that warm back and forth among the players that audiences appreciate seeing, as the musical line is traded from one instrument to the next. Rare was the glance or eye contact and minimal was the facial hint or exhibition of delight in the beauty of the sound they were making. And beautiful (but cool) perfection it was.

The program began with a familiar Brandenburg Concerto, played at a clipping along pace, and highlighting the accomplishments of Michael Sponseller in a breathtaking harpsichord cadenza, played on a double manual instrument. The robust, even sounds of the baroque bassoon were featured in the next program piece, a trio sonata by Telemann. Andrew Schwartz, brought a smooth clear tone to the program on his instrument, complementing Julie Leven’s baroque violin which held its own. The combination was exquisite.

Burtzos’ world premier – “The Hourglass Equation” – closed the first half of the program. Beginning and ending with long dissonant tones from the bassoon, flute and violin, it contained a brief, more lyrical section, challenging both the audience and the instrumentalists throughout with its very 20th century vibe.

Dominique Labelle

Dominique Labelle joined the instruments after intermission as the ensemble returned to the 18th century with two Handel arias and a Bach cantata. What riches! Her soprano voice amply filled the hall and blended aptly with the instrumental sound. Particularly moving was the use of diminuendo and ritardando in the “Fall asleep” section of Aria No. 3. One needed the excellent program notes by Joseph Orchard to place the piece in the context for which Bach composed it, as the lyric expressed delight in death and longing for the “cool soil of earth.”

The ensemble was also supported by the sound of Christopher Krueger’s baroque flute throughout much of the program. Loretta O’Sullivan’s solid continuo is always a delight, and she was joined by Anne Trout’s violone to further enhance the bassline throughout most of the program. Aston Magna continues to provide solid programming and excellence in performance to the summer festival season in the Berkshires.

Music from the Court of Isabella d’Este”

Aston Magna Music Festival, St. James Place, Great Barrington MA

www.astonmagna.org

July 22, 2017

by Barbara Stroup

To conclude their 45th season, Aston Magna Festival offered a concert of 16th century court music, and related their program specifically to the “first woman of the Renaissance,” Isabella d’Este. The concert was thematically organized, beginning with “Infidelity” and ending with “Time to Fish”! Evidently, both of these activities were plentiful; because of her voluminous letter writing, we know they both affected Isabella’s life. Excerpts from her letters (over 12,000 survive), were read with clarity and drama by violist Laura Jeppesen, and were an apt introduction to each section of the program. They ranged from poignant words to the humorous, and were effective in drawing modern listeners into the daily life of a 16th century woman of privilege.

Deborah Rentz-Moore and Aaron Sheehan

Featured were singers Deborah Retz-Moore (mezzo) and Aaron Sheehan (tenor). Both had total command of the music and complimented each other and the instruments well. Although the first half labored to overcome the aural limitations of tessitura and dynamic range, it was highlighted by the “J’ay pris amours” set. This melody (hit song of the age) wears well.

Laura Jeppesen on tenor and bass viol, were joined by Jane Hershey and Emily Walhout on similar instruments. Their ensemble was solid and secure, their sound clear and smooth, and Walhout’s treble playing especially engaging. It might benefit other ensembles for these instrumentalists to share their secret of playing in perfect tune without frequent onstage re-tuning of their gut-strung viols. Isabella, patroness of musicians, poets, and artists would have enjoyed this musical offering.

Late, Great Mozart

Aston Magna Music Festival, St. James Place, Great Barrington, MA

www.astonmagna.org

June 24, 2017

by Barbara Stroup

Eric Hoeprich

Few accolades exist that adequately describe the Aston Magna sounds on Saturday at St. James Place. In a newly-restored venue fit for the finest chamber music acoustic, the Festival presented guest artist Eric Hoeprich in the familiar Mozart Clarinet Quintet. But there was nothing ordinary in his sound and his instrument - the basset clarinet (the 18th century ancestor of today’s more familiar reed) - nor in his mastery of this beloved work. Ably surrounded by a fine string cohort of Aston Magna regulars, his exceptional sound was soothing, assured, and masterful. The Larghetto movement was particularly rich. The basset clarinet used in the concert duplicates the instrument that Mozart would have heard, and was produced by Hoeprich’s own hands. Master composition meets master instrument maker and master performer, all in one afternoon.

The concert began with the Mozart Divertimento, a six part “diversion” for violin, viola and cello. Meant as a departure from the cares of life, Mozart wrote several for various instrumental combinations. Daniel Stepner, David Miller and Loretta O’Sullivan spoke in the friendliest terms through their music as themes presented themselves, were developed and returned in the familiar fashion of early classical form. With Julie Leven, an additional violin voice, they played the Adagio and Fugue after Intermission. Their individual abilities to both come forward and then retreat allowed the audience to follow the fugue entries successfully; this work has a darker complexity that contrasted well with the Quintet that followed.

St. James Place was a church where a wall fell down and its congregation dispersed. Through a long and loving restoration, it now takes on a new role as a first-class venue for performance, with comfortable pew seating and welcome air conditioning. Great Barrington can be proud of this accomplishment, and proud to have hosted 45 years of Aston Magna magic.

Music for Forbidden Dances

Aston Magna Music Festival

Saint James Place, Great Barrington, MA

www.astonmagna.org

Saturday, June 17, 2017

by Rebecca Phelps

Last Saturday an audience of enthusiastic fans greeted the first musical delight of Aston Magna’s 45th season. Music for Forbidden Dances was a departure from purely Baroque and early music genres, featuring some obscure instruments; i.e. the bandoneon and a chalumeau (precursor to the clarinet), along with traditional instruments.

Daniel Stepner

The first half of the concert followed the development of two dance forms primarily known as movements in baroque dance suites: the sarabande and the chaconne. The opening medley, “Ensalada,” entertained us to the syncopated, raucous rhythms of the early roots of these dances, brought from the New World back to Spain and Europe, and considered to be too provocative for proper society.

The most famous chaconne ever written was performed by Daniel Stepner, Aston Magna artistic director and violinist extraordinaire: the “Chaconne in d minor” from the Second Partita for violin, by J.S. Bach. This tour-de-force of stamina, skill and mental concentration, lasting over 15 minutes, was performed with great vigor by Stepner.

The second half of the concert brought us into the 20th century, and the world of the tango, featuring the bandoneon, a concertina-like instrument invented in Germany which caught on like wildfire in Argentina. Hector del Curto is a virtuosic player from a long line of Argentinian bandoneon players; both his grandfather and great-grandfather were bandoneonists. Musical talent runs in the family as was evident when he introduced his wife, a wonderful cellist, and his young son, a clarinetist. Together they played the evocative “Oblivion”, by Astor Piazzolla, bringing us into the other deliciously forbidden dance form featured in the program: the Tango.

The final piece, “Tango” by Robert Xavier Rodriquez, was a theatrical work narrated and sung by the talented Frank Kelly. It told a history of the tango in the 20th century through news clippings and actual sermon quotes from Cardinal Pompeii.

Clearly some very imaginative programming and fine musicianship went into this program, the first of Aston Magna’s summer series.

The Art of the Chalumeau

Daniel Arts Center, Great Barrington, MA

www.astonmagna.org

June 16, 2013

by Barbara Stroup

After a cold winter and a wet spring, Aston Magna returned to the Berkshires with the best in chamber music - the pleasing combination of strings, winds and voice. Offering a rare glimpse at an obscure instrument, the ensemble provided guest artist Eric Hoeprich with respectful support in both programming and musicianship. In Hoeprich’s hands, the chalemeau is an instrument that can enter mysteriously from the background texture, rivaling the voice in its soul-touching sound. The range of this small instrument belies its size, and the artist achieved a balanced timbre throughout. Paired with the oboe in a short work by Johann Adolph Hasse, the combination was ethereal. One wishes again that, like other neglected early instruments, audiences could hear much more from chalemeau players.

The program opened without the wind instruments with a Vivaldi work in three parts. Artistic Director Daniel Stepner’s leadership, particularly at the cadenzas, gave the notes a chance to linger in the air and gave the audience a change to savor them. It was a pleasure to be able to follow Vivaldi’s fugal theme, as players took turns getting “out of the way” so it could be highlighted.

The evening’s ensemble included a continuo section of three: violone, baroque cello, and theorbo. The group was a perfect combination throughout the varied program of arias, concerti, and other short works and the balance throughout was impeccably maintained, regardless of the number of voices.

Soprano Kristen Watson joined the instrumentalists for several pieces from Handel and Vivaldi, and for the closing Cantata by Francesco Conti. Her instrument excellently matched the ensemble. She seemed to particularly enjoy the opportunities to ‘converse’ with the chalemeau when Hoeprich and she were paired.

Baroque oboeist Steven Hammer brought a masterful technique to the familiar Marcello Concerto, ending the first half of the program with rapid passage-work and flying fingers. All three featured artists had so much command of technique that they could put the audience at ease with their musicianship. The program was a delightful mix and it is hoped that a recording might be issued, because the term “chalemeau” on iTunes results in only ONE find.

Aston Magna

Simon's Rock, Great Barrington, MA
www.astonmagna.com
by Debra Tinkham

Daniel Stepner, violinist and Artistic Director, along with John Gibbons, harpsichordist, had their hands (and fingers) full at Bard College for Aston Magna's concert. They started with a J.S. Bach Sonata in E Major with four movements, with the first Adagio being slow. The most notable physical observation of this movement was Stepner’s lovely bowing hand position. Allegro had precise timing and the usual eye contact between performers was lacking during their upper and lower ranges of valuable dynamics. The delicacy and softness of the Adagio ma non tanto told a sweet story with harpsichord and violin echoing back and forth. Long tones and thirty-second notes were executed with passion and dexterity in some most difficult passages of the Allegro.

Bach’s Sonata in A minor was next performed by Stepner, who humbly stood for this arrangement and used no music. To many unfamiliar listeners of this sonata, this might not be the most pleasing to the ear with its complicated and enharmonic sounds, especially the Fuga, a fast second movement. The last movement, Allegro, was a very typical sounding “Bach Invention” with the vast execution of notes and patterns.

Bach’s Concerto Italian Style in F Major, in three movements, was played for solo harpsichord.  Gibbons executed this movement rather rapidly, with a slight glitch in fingering, at which he laughed at himself. (Otherwise, no one would have known.) The noticeably uneven tempo of the Andante suggested a strong struggle going on and ended with the familiar Presto.

Stepner returned to the stage performing Bach’s Sonata in F minor with Gibbons. The first movement, Largo, was so beautiful, dramatic, romantic and sad. Noticeable was the very subtle and graceful up bow entry of the violin. The second, third and fourth movements were typically Bach, but especially the second movement, Allegro, which was Bach-Invention-Duet-Style.

Last was the music of Bach’s son, CPE Bach, and his Sonata in C minor performed by Stepner and Gibbons. The first movement, allegro moderato, was a clear example of the C minor scale with slight variations and consistent recapitulations. Adagio ma non troppo had a glitch or two at the beginning, but Stepner made light of it and all went well.

Aston Magna

Simon's Rock, Great Barrington, MA
www.astonmagna.org
June 26, 2010
by Debra Tinkham


"Completely Mozart" was the venue at Bard College at Simon's Rock, with eight of the talented Aston Magna musicians. Mozart's quartet in F was a three part quartet, featuring Daniel Stepner on violin, David Miller on viola, Loretta O'Sullivan on cello and Stephen Hammer on oboe.

Allegro began with an oboe solo, joined by a string trio. Hammer demonstrated some difficult passages with nice dynamics. Adagio began like a heavy, broken heart. Although very short, O'Sullivan displayed her usual heartfelt emotion.

With joyful laughter and echoes, Rondeau portrayed an equal blend of strings and woodwind, although the oboe far outweighed the dynamic blend, making it more of a solo instrument. The theme was playful with recapitulation variations. Hammer utilized the full range of his Baroque period oboe but seemed to struggle slightly in the upper register.

Gran Sestetto Concertante's Allegro maestoso, which means quickly majestic, was a sextet of two violins, two violas and two cellos. A new cellist to Aston Magna is Guy Fishman, who made his solo debut with the Handel and Haydn Society Orchestra and in "2002 was their youngest player." At the age of 16, Fishman began his Baccalaureate studies at the Manhattan School of Music and holds a Doctorate from the New England Conservatory of Music. On this night he played a 1704 Roman cello. Fishman is young, experienced, attentive, impressive. Getting back to the other performers, the first movement was emotional and each of these musicians has their own unique style. Fishman is definitely a nice addition.

Andante, which generally implies slow, was not so slow -- very moving in many ways, dramatic and lugubrious. Presto was intensely harmonic, with 60 very busy fingers. This was a "stringed conversation" and everyone wanted to talk at once. Then, back to one conversation, leading into another and another, until they were again all talking at once. The difference between verbal conversations and musical conversations is that with the Aston Magna musicians, six voices talking at the same time are a thing of beauty.

Aston Magna

Simon's Rock, Great Barrington, MA
www.astonmagna.org
June 19, 2010
by Debra Tinkahm

Daniel Stepner stole the show. Stepner was the show, with the help of Johann Sebastian Bach, that is. As the Artistic Director of Aston Magna, the oldest annual summer festival in America, Stepner stepped off with the Partita III in E Major. As Stepner explained, "…Partita is to dance vicariously," and dance he did - on his violin. The Preludio was a "brilliant introduction" that portrayed the usual Stepner emotion. Here is a simple stage with a black background, Stepner standing throughout the entire performance, using no music.

The Loure had many subtle two-note chords, which continued throughout this Partita, with purposeful phrasing and short, non-staccato, phrases. Stepner had fun with the lively, beautifully phrased Gavotte. Menuets I and II were a harmonic three-quarter time, while the Bouree's nature was that of a country line dance with clogs. The Gigue implied a British tone.

As Stepner said, "Partita I in B minor affords me double trouble. Within these four movements, there are four shadow movements." The Allemanda was mysteriously dramatic. Corrente, Sarabande and Borea movements were a mix-n-match of variations. Chromatic Fantasy, arranged for violin by Stepner, had some dramatic chromatics. Chromatic implies non-melodic, but this was melodic, just with a lot of notes.

Bach's Partita in D minor was five examples of dramatic and emotional execution. Moving from Allemanda into the Corrente, with nice punctuation and phrasing, one realized Bach's brilliant composing ability, but let the audience not forget Stepner's desire to keep such mastery alive. Sarabanda and Giga showed some fast moving, melodic variations, but the Ciaccona, in Stepner's words were, "…originally a very fast and very lude dance from Mexico, which caught on like wildfire." Later, moving through the European venues, Bach incorporated this dance into a French version of his operatic finales.

For those who have not experienced Aston Magna, there are three more summer concerts. Everyone should enjoy the work of "Stepner and company" at least once in a lifetime.

Music in the Time of Goya

Aston Magna, Great Barrington, MA
www.astonmagna.org
by Barbara Stroup

Deftly programmed by guest director and guitarist Richard Savino, the six musicians of this final Aston Magna Festival presentation played music that spanned early 18th to mid-19th century Spain while the audience simultaneously enjoyed large, projected images of Francisco Goya's art. Seven thematic sections of the program included whole and partial works by a variety of Spanish composers. These were supported by the artist's images of faith, tranquility, nobility, poverty, degeneration, celebration and finally, brutality and horror. The rhythmic catch of the Fandango that ended the first half was punctuated by the cellist's percussive beat while bullfighting images filled the screen.

The instrumental ensemble was tactfully expressive in both the dances that celebrated life, and the music of war, resistance, and resignation at the program's close, sometimes whispering with string harmonics and often using full dynamic resources.

Jennifer Ellis Kampani sang with strength, sensitivity and color throughout her wide range, and was an agile vocal match to the tumultuous range of emotions portrayed in the music and in the art. The program concluded with the music of François de Fossa, a guitarist and composer who struggled to make art in a city under siege, and who, although lavishly praised for his work, was offered less than the cost of the music paper on which it was transcribed.

After a beautiful concert, the fortunate audience left this auditorium in the green Berkshire hills to find outside a sky as beautiful as Goya's best rococo masterpiece.

Haydn & Bach Concert

Aston Magna, Great Barrington, MA

www.astonmagna.org

through July 11, 2009

by Debra Tinkham

Daniel Stepner, Artistic Director, stepped out with fellow performers, Nancy Wilson (violin), David Miller (viola) and Loretta O'Sullivan (cello), to begin Aston Magna's season opening performance with Franz Josef Haydn's entertaining and fun String Quartet in D Major, Op 20, No. 4.

As is usual with this talented group of musicians, their use of non-verbal communication, in addition to their splendid talent, combined to make the Allegro di molto a wonderful listening experience. The echoes of Un poco adagio e affetuoso, along with the melancholy of the cello, were enough to move one to tears. Minuet alla Zingarese, a menuet in a rapid 3/4 time, was just short and sweet! Finally, Presto e scherzando' harmony was not only in the music, but in the personality of the performers. Haydn's Arianna a Naxos, cantata for soprano and strings, welcomed Dominique Labelle, vocalist, and Anne Trout, bass viol. Labelle captivated listeners with her full-bodied, rich voice, comparable to a hearty, full-bodied burgundy. This mythical operatic story combines the talent of several composers and still remains slightly cloudy as to where the credit should be given. It is the usual story of love, suffering, anger, and in this case, a happy ending.

Intermission was followed by the enjoyment of Johann Sebastian Bach's Weichet nur, betrubte Schatten, a wedding Cantata, sung by Labelle, and the evening concluded with Heitor Villa Lobos' Bachianus Brasileiras No. 5, again, tastefully performed by Labelle.

Aston Magna has a bevy of upcoming beauties, including Handel's The Beggar's Opera on July 4th. The fireworks of music are sure to please the most discerning listener. So much music; not enough time to expound on the brilliance and talent of the "Aston Magna Meistros." Bravo!

Aston Magna Summer Concerts

Simon’s Rock, Great Barrington
concerts every Saturday
by Debra Tinkham


Aston Magna and Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Art of the Fugue” went off flawlessly at Simon’s Rock College. This venue featured eight talented musicians -- talented being a gross understatement -- on nine baroque-period instruments.

Daniel Stepner, Artistic Director and violinist extraordinaire, began the program by briefly explaining the definition of fugue, which meant "chasing." And chasing they did, via duet, trio, quartet, octet – the whole “nine yards”. Without going into a long history of Bach’s Fugues, suffice it to say, they are problematic, they are original, they are inverted (it gets complicated).

This extremely loaded program, without intermission, was an evening of perfection. Stephen Hammer, oboe; Stepner, violin; Andrew Schwartz, bassoon; and David Miller, viola, began with a simple (original form) Contrapunctus I. Not only during this piece, but throughout the evening, the artists were unified in their playful interaction, while at all times keeping a keen eye out for Stepner’s direction.

Let’s jump to the end – Contrapunctus XIV -- which was, as Steven Ledbetter puts it, “… perhaps the greatest and assuredly the most complex fugue Bach ever created.” But, the big question is, did Bach fail to complete the fugue? Several scholars have attempted to finish the composition, but Stepner says: “We’ve done it with the ending trailing off…which seems the only honest way to end the piece. There are several creditable endings but these all seem ultimately unconvincing.” Will we ever know?

Aston Magna has completed several recordings by J.S. Bach; W.A. Mozart, Handel, Schubert, Monteverdi, and others as well as a book on Schubert and a soon to be released book of J.S. Bach. Perhaps an investment in their music would be an excellent alternative, if unable to attend a concert.

Aston Magna Concert

Simon’s Rock, Great Barrington
By Debra Tinkham

The young Felix Mendelssohn’s music took the stage in Great Barrington with the Sinfonie no. 10 in B minor – three short movements, without break. Although originally written for two violins, two violas and the violincello/bass, the performance featured a string quartet. Before the Sinfonie started, it had already ended. This is a true sign of the Aston Magna performers. They make it so wonderful, it’s over before it has begun.

Quintet No. 1 in A Major, Opus 18 displayed an array of wonderful dynamics and emotions. Cellist Loretta O’Sullivan especially had a mesmerizing style during her performances. However, enough just cannot be said of Daniel Stepner. His flair, flamboyance, style, brilliance, devotion, commitment, and pure love of what he does is so apparent.

Octet in E-Flat Major, Opus 20 featured Stepner, with the most flamboyant part of the eight, but the audience could not miss the overlapping interactions of the other seven performers. The four movement Opus, a la octet, gave many forms – ongoing contrasting themes, chromatic scales throughout, an ever present liveliness and yet an emotional stoicism on the faces of the performers.

During the Scherzo movement (third) those in attendance experienced a whimsical, almost mystical, soft-spoken fairy tale. The different styles of this octet were certainly varied, and as their personalities become one with their instruments, it still boils down to an evening that you not soon to forget. The summer season has just begun, with more Aston Magna concerts in store.