REVIEW: Valley Classical Concerts, “Rendez-Vous”

Camille Thomas, Cello, and Julien Brocal, Piano
Smith College, Northampton, MA
https://valleyclassicalconcerts.org
March 7, 2028
by Michael J. Moran

French-born 30-somethings with extensive international training and performance experience, Camille Thomas and Julien Brocal both have strong solo careers; they also enjoy an inspired musical partnership as a duo. Their chamber music concerts mix tradition with innovation in imaginative ways. 

The duo's VCC debut program opened with a segment entitled “Grace.” It began with a “Reflection” written (seemingly improvised) by both performers on Charles Gounod’s arrangement of the “Prelude in C Major” from Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Well-Tempered Clavier.” A mercurial introduction highlighted the bright simplicity of Gounod’s setting, best known as “Ave Maria.” This segment ended with a stylish account of Bach’s third suite, originally for the lighter viola da gamba and keyboard, with a lively “Vivace,” a meditative “Adagio,” and a fleet “Allegro.”    

Two more segments with unusual musical combinations followed. “With Surprises” featured a haunting Brocal/Thomas “Reflection” on both a “Gnossienne” by the experimental French composer Erik Satie (who invented but never explained the title) and the more modern style of the English rock band Radiohead. “Chimera” presented a stately Brocal “Reflection” on a medley of Satie’s familiar “Gymnopedie” No. 1 (another original title) and “The Swan” from Camille Saint-Saens’ “Carnival of the Animals.”

The concert closed with a forceful but sensitive reading of Edward Grieg’s only cello sonata, dating from 1882-1883. The “Allegro agitato” alternated dramatic intensity with pastoral lyricism; the “Andante molto tranquillo” was hushed and pensive; the “Allegro molto e marcato” finale contrasted march-like and Norwegian folk-dance rhythms. Both players brought full, rich tone to their instruments, Thomas visibly relishing the many plucked passages throughout the piece, and Brocal building powerful climaxes on the keyboard.   

 A standing ovation from the appreciative packed house brought the musicians back for an encore, which Brocal introduced with mock seriousness as “delicate and intimate:” a rousing performance of Polish composer-violinist Henryk Wieniawski’s “Polonaise Brilliante,” arranged for cello. The flattering acoustics of Sweeney Concert Hall made every piece sound clear and sumptuous. The mix of classical and jazz traditions by these artists clearly had wide audience appeal.

The last concert in Valley Classical’s 47th season will present Boston-based chamber orchestra “A Far Cry” in music by Copland and Beethoven at Sweeney Concert Hall on March 21, 2026.

REVIEW: K and E Theater Group, “Sunday in the Park with George”

K and E Theater Group, Northampton, MA

www.ketg.org

through October 19, 2025

by Michael J. Moran

The original 1984 Broadway production of this play, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Lapine, won a Pulitzer Prize and two Tony Awards. A fictionalized version of how French artist George Seurat painted his 1884-1886 masterpiece A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, its strong visual component can be daunting for local theaters to replicate. But KETG’s moving production shows that it can be done exceptionally well.

Act I, set in Paris, shows George creating the painting and interacting with the people who appear in it, including his lover, Dot. When George’s immersion in his work seems to leave no room for Dot in his life, she marries Louis, a baker, and they move to the United States with her newborn daughter, Marie. Act II follows George's great-grandson, an American artist, also named George, as he loses and then regains his artistic muse, with help from his ancestors, on a visit to La Grande Jatte.

There is no weak link in the 13-member ensemble cast, each playing two or more roles, with many local stage credits and some beyond. Michael

 Graham is compelling as both Georges, finding their human vulnerability and gritty determination. Nicole Elledge-Hickey is extraordinary as Dot and, in Act II, 98-year-old Marie. Her gleaming, lyrical soprano captures the full range of their emotions. Gene Choquette is a winningly sardonic boatman. Elizabeth Monte, Carol Wrobleski, and Eddie Zitka shine in smaller roles.

Musical highlights include: Elledge-Hickey’s hilarious title song; her touching “Children and Art” as the elderly Marie; two of her soaring duets with Graham – a shattering “We Do Not Belong Together” and an inspirational “Move On;” Graham’s virtuosic voicing of two dogs in a kaleidoscopic “The Day Off;” Wrobeski’s wistful “Beautiful” with a reflective Graham; and a rapturous “Sunday” by the full company. Music Director Cavallin’s eight-member onstage band offers colorful, stylish backing.

Director-choreographer-actor Zitka (the “E” of KETG, with co-founding “K” partner Ken Comia) deploys his cast seamlessly to move his flexible set on and off the Northampton Center for the Arts stage. Elegant costume design by Moonyean Field and the protean Zitka is period-perfect. Creative projection design by Nicco Palazzi and Comia keeps the painting front and center. 
 

This impressive mounting of a peak Sondheim show is highly recommended for mature theatergoers.

REVIEW: Valley Classical Concerts, "Espressivo!"

Smith College, Northampton, MA

www.valleyclassicalconcerts.org

March 9, 2025

by Michael J. Moran

Espressivo! is a piano quartet founded several years ago by veteran Vermont-based performers violinist Jaime Laredo and his wife, cellist Sharon Robinson, with younger musicians violist Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt and pianist Anna Polonsky. For its second annual VCC appearance in acoustically ideal Sweeney Hall, the quartet presented three pillars of the relatively limited repertoire for this combination of instruments.

The program began with Mozart’s first piano quartet, K. 478, the earliest masterpiece of this genre, written in 1785 at the height of the 29-year-old composer’s short-lived maturity (he died at age 35). From a dramatic opening “Allegro,” through a tender, flowing “Andante,” to a joyful “Rondo” finale, the ensemble delivered a flexible and expressive rendition that justified their chosen name.     

Next came the last of Brahms’ three piano quartets, composed in 1856 as his Op. 60. The ensemble’s passionate reading featured: a forceful “Allegro non troppo;” a turbulent “Scherzo: Allegro;” a rhapsodic “Andante,” led by Robinson’s heart-melting cello solo; and an enigmatic, mercurial “Finale: Allegro Comodo.” The almost symphonic weight of the three strings playing together with Polonsky’s full-bodied piano in Brahms' piece contrasted sharply with their lighter approach to Mozart’s classical grace.

The concert closed with the second of the two piano quartets by Dvorak, dating from 1889, and reflecting both the structural influence of his friend and champion, Brahms, and the composer’s own Czech heritage. A bold opening, with quickly shifting moods, in the inventive “Allegro con fuoco,” five related but carefully differentiated themes in the entrancing “Lento,” folk-flavored, waltzlike charm in the gentle “Allegretto moderato, gracioso,” and ebullient high spirits in the colorfully varied “Allegro ma non troppo” finale produced a bracing performance, which brought the large, enthusiastic audience instantly to its feet.

The intergenerational membership of Espressivo! nicely balanced the long experience and instrumental talents of Laredo, whose violin was silken or beefier as the music demanded, and Robinson, whose cello was similarly rich-toned or grittier, with the energy and virtuosity of Pajaro-van de Stadt, whose viola was mellow or dark as needed, and Polonsky, whose piano touch could be delicate or thunderous.

The next Valley Classical’s concert will take place on March 30, 2025

REVIEW: K and E Theater Group, “Promises, Promises”

K and E Theater Group, Northampton, MA

www.ketg.org

through October 20, 2024

by Michael J. Moran

 

The original production of “Promises, Promises” in 1968 boasted a witty book by Neil Simon, a brilliant score by Burt Bacharach, and clever lyrics by Hal David and won two Tony Awards. Its mix of light-hearted satire and serious drama can be challenging to balance and may explain why the show has only been revived on Broadway once. But K and E’s ebullient production seems to have found the sweet spot for putting it across to modern audiences.   

 

Based on Billy Wilder’s 1960 film “The Apartment” and set in 1962 Manhattan, the story focuses on Chuck Baxter, a junior executive in a large insurance company, who hopes to advance his career by lending his apartment to his married superiors for trysts. Chuck also falls for Fran Kubelik, a waitress in the company cafeteria. Romantic complications ensue, taking an unexpected turn for the worse, before a hard-won happy ending for the leading couple.

Dion, Choquette and Berube

Casey Dion is an appealing Chuck, softening his fierce ambition with self-deprecating
narrative asides to the audience. Shealyn Berube is a sympathetic Fran, whose ambition is more for love than status. Joshua Aaron Mason is haughty as company personnel manager J.D. Sheldrake. Myka Plunkett is a hoot as flirting Marge MacDougall, and Gene Choquette is hilarious as Chuck’s neighbor, Dr. Dreyfuss, who delivers some of Simon’s funniest lines with perfect timing. The vehemence of Aileen Merino Terzi’s parting words to Mr. Sheldrake as Miss Olson, his secretary, also reveals an edgy MeToo sensibility in the script of this “Mad Men” era tale.

Musical highlights include: an exuberant “Overture,” which showcases Bacharach’s catchy irregular rhythms and wordless choruses; Berube’s stunning “I Say a Little Prayer” and “A House Is Not a Home;” the playful “A Fact Can Be a Beautiful Thing,” by Dion and Plunkett; and Dion’s powerful take on the title song. Music Director Elizabeth Monte’s seven-member onstage band offers animated support, notably Laura Ross’ mellow guitar and Pete Grimaldi’s hot trumpet.

 

Director-choreographer Eddie Zitka (the “E” of K and E, with co-founding partner Ken Comia) keeps his 13-member cast in constant motion, rhythmically moving elements of his ingeniously minimal set on and off the Northampton Center for the Arts stage. Period-appropriate costume design by Moonyean Field and Zitka adds further zest. 

 

This entertaining trip down memory lane is highly recommended for mature theatergoers.

PREVIEW: Paradise City Arts Fair

3 County Fairgrounds, Northampton, MA

www.paradisecityarts.com

October 12, 13, 14, 2024

Nearly 30 years ago, Bravo Newspaper’s 24th edition was hitting the streets. Lauren Grossman and I were publishers. One of the cover-page, above-the-fold, articles featured the new Paradise City Arts Fair. 

What was once a racetrack, were now dusty and murky grounds and large empty barns. Husband-and-wife artist team, Linda and Geoffrey Post, then created something beautiful literally from mud. Needless to say, at first the couple questioned each other, asking how can we transform this venue to showcase quality crafts and fine art? Would people come from throughout the country to a small New England town? 

Hindsight is, of course, 20/20. Amazingly and thankfully, Paradise City has become one of the “Top 10 Art Fairs sand Festivals in America”. [AmericanStyle Magazine]

Paradise City has boasted attendance far beyond the Post's expectations. Annually, among the huge groups of enthusiasts and shoppers is me.

All of the art, of every genre imaginable and some never imagined, is high-end because it is among the best of the best in the United States. I can only imagine the fun and feigned torture the judges must go through in their selection process. I would love that job.

If you attend, and I hope you do, plan for at least 3-hours viewing the crafts, talking to the creators, walking by the outdoor sculpture, and lunching in the giant food/music tent. Local musicians perform throughout the fair.

“My tried ‘n true method” of experiencing the fair, and not to exceed my self-allotted 3-hours, is to realize that I can’t see everything. Hard as it is to believe, but there can actually be too much art.

With no offense to jewelers, of which there are many, I skip all. Someone else might set jewelry as their first destination. It’s all to one’s liking. 

Crafters are located in attractive spaces in each barn or on the lawn, with a variety of each art form at every venue. Many of the artists are old-timers, yet the organizers make sure there is room for first timers as well as locals. No matter the category, each vendor must be vetted.

Paradise City’s crafters include the genres: metal, leather, wood, painting, photography, mixed media, furniture, fiber, works on paper, glass, ceramics, and jewelry.

My 3-hour clock is ticking – what to look for? My first instinct would be paintings and photography. Why? Because I have no skills at either which makes me appreciate the talent of others even more. Whimsy, unusual, new; these are a few of my favorite things; i.e. furniture that looks like humans [think “Beauty and the Beast”] or a metal 8’-foot tall whooping crane.

I surprise myself each year when I gravitate to two particular artists. The surprise is that I normally do not like sculpture or ceramics (I refer to as pottery). Yet, without fail, I purchase at least one item from each – an example of my personal goal to support living artists when possible.

The sculpture pieces are large brass tree limbs with multi-color, delicate leaves for a wall creation. The artist has designed the branches so the patron can add more branches, twist the shape, and grow larger wall art…or not. 

The second crafter specializes in small, unusual, usable ceramics with waves and splatters of color in green and blue. My first purchase was many years ago with my mother as my guest. She loved these works of art. With her birthday two weeks later, this became the ideal gift. Year after year, fair after fair, when my mother was unable to go, I would make another selection for her. Mother’s Day and Chanukah gifts just kept on coming. 

When Mom passed away, at age 99 ½ (half-years count when you are a toddler and a senior), I inherited each bit of pottery that I had gifted her. I said to myself, “I live in a condo. I have no more room for these”. Yet, discovered that when something is important, there is space for it and for the memories.

REVIEW: Berkshire Choral International, "Vaughan Williams"

UMass Amherst Fine Arts Center, MA

www.berkshirechoral.org

June 29, 2024

by Michael J. Moran

Joe Miller

Joe Miller, Professor of Conducting & Director of Choral Studies at Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, led the 130-member BCI chorus, baritone Emmett O’Hanlon, soprano Laura Strickling, and a freelance ensemble of area professional musicians in two masterpieces by English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams for an evening of choral-orchestral magic.   

Since 1982, BCI has gathered experienced amateur singers from across the USA during the summer for weeklong intensive rehearsals in various American and international venues, culminating in a public performance at the end of the week. While still based in the Berkshires, this was their only local concert in 2024.

 

The program opened with “Five Mystical Songs,” which Vaughan Williams wrote in 1911 for the Worcester Three Choirs Festival and based on four poems by George Herbert (two songs set different verses of the same poem). O’Hanlon’s supple baritone suited the music’s radiant beauty. The chorus was hauntingly expressive in the wordless final bars of the cycle’s sublime centerpiece, “Love Bade Me Welcome,” and ardently ringing in the jubilant closing “Antiphon.” Miller and the orchestra offered sumptuous support throughout.

Then came a thrilling account of the composer’s first symphony, which he called “A Sea Symphony,” because the texts in all four movements are selections from Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass” which compare a sea voyage to the human journey through life. Written between 1903 and 1909, the hour-long piece was first played at the Leeds Festival in 1910.

The first movement, “A Song for All Seas, All Ships,” was urgently dramatic, and the chorus, O’Hanlon, and Strickling all sang their solo passages with heroic heft. O’Hanlon was mesmerizing in the quiet second movement, “On the Beach at Night, Alone.” The chorus (without soloists) was virtuosic and nimble in the explosive third movement, “The Waves.” The finale, “The Explorers,” alternated exhilaration with yearning and closed quietly on the lines “O farther, farther, farther sail!” Miller kept the huge ensemble of musicians in sonorous balance.  

The warm and spacious acoustic of the Fine Arts Center’s Tillis Performance Hall showcased the clear enunciation and carefully modulated phrasing of the singers along with the impassioned playing of the instrumentalists. Full texts were provided in the digital program.

This concert was a glorious feast for the ears of all choral music lovers.

REVIEW: Valley Classical Concerts, "Merz Trio"

Smith College, Northampton, MA

www.valleyclassicalconcerts.org/concerts

February 4, 2024

by Michael J. Moran

Merz Trio

Founded in 2017 and named after a German collage artist, this Boston-based ensemble “juxtaposes classical standards, new music, and their own arrangements of familiar and forgotten works,” according to their program note. This concert, with a “Night Songs” theme (said cellist Julia Yang in opening remarks), was a textbook example of that eclectic philosophy.

It began with a suite of six short meditative pieces, mostly arranged by the Trio and played without pause. A haunting account of German mystic Hildegard von Bingen’s 11th-century hymn “O Fiery Spirit” was followed by: a rhapsodic “Andantino” solo by pianist Amy Yang from Robert Schumann’s 1845 “Six Studies in Canonic Form;” a mesmerizing “Hush No More,” from Henry Purcell’s 1692 opera “The Fairy Queen;” a lush take on Alma Mahler’s 1911 song “Mild Summer  Night”; a soulful “Round Midnight,” Thelonius Monk’s 1943 masterpiece; and a luxurious version of Alexander Zemlinsky’s 1897 song “Conception." The Trio’s singing in several selections deepened the suite’s nocturnal spell.  

Next came a vibrant interpretation of Schumann’s 1847 Piano Trio No. 2 in F Major, which featured: an expansive opening movement, briefly quoting his song “Intermezzo,” Op. 39/#2; a radiant slow movement, which came across as a lullaby; a mercurial waltz-like third movement “in moderate tempo;” and a lively, almost explosive finale.

The program closed with an impassioned reading of Johannes Brahms’ Piano Trio No. 1 in B Major, written in 1853-54 after the 20-year-old Brahms first met Robert and his composer-pianist wife Clara Schumann, but substantially revised in 1889. The Merz Trio offered: a vigorous opening “Allegro con brio;” a supercharged “Scherzo,” with a delicately nuanced interlude; a hushed, nocturne-like “Adagio;” and a turbulent “Allegro” finale.

Noting that “we can’t leave you in B minor” (the key on which Brahms’ finale ended), violinist Brigid Coleridge introduced as an encore the Trio’s luminous arrangement of Richard Strauss’s ravishing 1894 song “Morgen” (“Tomorrow”).

Along with their inventive programming, this threesome is notable for the rare mix of intensity and balance in their performances, with every instrument always clearly heard in this storied venue’s flattering acoustic.    

The next concert in Valley Classical’s 45th season will take place on February 24, 2024.

REVIEW: Berkshire Bach Society, "Bach at New Year’s"

Academy of Music, Northampton, MA

https://berkshirebach.org

December 30, 2023

by Michael J. Moran

This annual concert presented every New Year’s weekend in three Berkshire-area venues by
professional musicians from the region and beyond can always be counted on to send the old year out and welcome the new year in on a high note.

This year’s program, led by Eugene Drucker, Music Director of the seasoned sixteen-member Berkshire Bach Ensemble (and a founding violinist of the recently retired Emerson String Quartet), opened with a sprightly reading of Corelli’s so-called “Christmas” Concerto, inscribed “for the night of Christmas,” likely in 1690. The unusual closing pastorale was especially tender.

 

Kenneth Weiss then soloed in a lively account of Bach’s 1734 first concerto for harpsichord and orchestra, with a notably solemn central “Adagio” movement. Drucker (otherwise leading from the concertmaster’s chair) was next an expressive soloist in the same master’s 1730 violin concerto in A minor, where again the slow movement, this time marked “Andante,” made the deepest emotional impression.

Intermission featured an entertaining rarity, the five-movement 1728 “Gulliver Suite” for two violins by Bach’s friend Telemann, depicting episodes from Jonathan Swift’s then recent (1726) novel “Gulliver’s Travels.” Violists Ronald Gorevic and Liuh-Wen Ting played a transcription for two violas with humor and verve, including a stately “Lilliputian Chaconne” and a brisk “Brobdingnagian Gigue.”

Telemann’s concerto for two oboes and bassoon, “Concerto alla francese,” next showcased oboists Margaret Owens and Jessica Warren and bassoonist Stephen Walt as elegant soloists. Flutist Judith Mendenhall and violinist Michael Roth then soloed virtuosically in Handel’s 1734 Concerto Grosso, Op. 3/3, which offers, in Drucker’s words, “fugal writing that almost rivals Bach’s command of counterpoint.”

Next up was Biber’s wild-sounding, war-inspired 1673 suite “Battalia a 10,” whose “March” asks the double bass player to imitate the sound of a snare drum by placing a sheet of paper between the strings and the fingerboard, a move skillfully executed by Rick Ostrovsky. The concert closed with an exuberant performance of Bach’s second “Brandenburg” Concerto, which highlighted the clarion trumpet sound of Maximilian Morel.

This two-hour plus festival of Baroque music was further enhanced by the Academy’s warm yet clear acoustics. 

The Berkshire Bach Society next presents organist Renee Anne Louprette on February 10, 2024 at the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House in Housatonic, MA.

REVIEW: Silverthorne Theater, "The Cake"

Silverthorne Theater, Emily Dickinson Hall, Hampshire College, Amherst, MA

https://silverthornetheater.org

from June 9 - 17, 2023

by Shera Cohen

Perhaps the key word to describe this play is "change". Times change, people change, lessons change. Who changes, why change?

Is "The Cake" a comedy or tragedy? The audience learns something, sometimes a little bit profound, sometimes not. Enough to rethink the play's theme? Probably not. With its laundry list of contemporary themes and language, this might be a short-lived play. However, at its best, it could become a piece of literature which replicates the mores of 2023.

Character Jen, portrayed by Claudia Maurino, asks her mother's dear friend Della, owner of a bakery, to make her a cake for her wedding. Silverthorne found a major coup by casting Elizabeth Aspenlieder, whose name has been associated with Shakespeare & Company for decades, to portray the lead character Della. Della is humorous, doubtful, loving, and a bible-quoter. Della is dumbstruck when Jen informs her that she is marrying Macy

Yes, Macy is a girl, a black girl. Macy, played by Tahmie Der, is bold, forthright, and savvy to the new era, taking on the responsibility of instructing the others to realize that the world is changing, starting right there in Della's little bake shop.

Sam Samuels, essentially, the only male actor in the cast, makes wise use of his two scenes. He is Della's husband. He is plumber. That might say enough about Tim. But, no. Samuel's presents Tim's changes simultaneously as tender and funny.

The play's venue at Emily Dickinson Hall, Hampshire College, may be stocked with lights, stage levels, backstage needs, lots of parking, etc. Yet, this location was a poor choice to mount a play. The stage is spread across the entire floor with bedrooms as bookends to Della's shop. Bakery scenes were solid with audible vocals. Yet perhaps one-third of the scenes took place in the bedrooms. The sight lines were non-existent. I could not see any actor. Add to that, neither younger actor was audible, except to audience members seated in two rows alongside the bedroom set. I see no credit for set designer, which usually means that the director, Gina Kaufmann, took on double duty.

"The Cake" has so much potential, and some of it was present onstage at Hampshire College. There is still time for Silverthorne to reconfigure its set at the very least.

Note: Partial nudity should have been warned in Silverthorne's publicity. 

PREVIEW: Paradise City Arts Festivals, 4 Pioneer Valley Artists Join in 2023

Three County Fairgrounds, Northampton, MA

https://festivals.paradisecityarts.com

May 27, 28, 29, 2023

Artists duo Jude Pokorny and Bruce Peeso call their studio Backroads Gallery, Monson, MA 

There are times when we walk the land, observing the light, the weather conditions, the colors before us, waiting for that precise moment that must be captured. We find a similarity in those moments, no matter where our wanderings have taken us, that imparts a peaceful feeling. It is that peacefulness enhanced by the sun’s rays, or dramatic weather conditions that is the focus of our work.

Our intent is not to be photographic, but rather to convey a sense of being there. Bruce’s paintings capture the vastness of the countryside and impart a timeless quality. Jude’s paintings evoke a special moment in time where a painting and narrative come together and speak to the viewer. 

 

 

Planted Pigments has its base in Adams, MA

Planted Pigments

Dyeing with plants is equal parts art, science & magic. Artist Mallorey Caron employs processes and techniques which pull from a fascination with flower "potions" as a child. Each garment, scarf or printed notecard sees many stages before the finishing touches are painted or sewn in place. 

 

Techniques include: growing & foraging dye plants and other materials, ancient natural dye extraction, print design, gilding, and hand carving. Every piece designed by Mallorey is handmade in her home studio using eco-friendly, recycled & sustainable materials. 

 

Greta Redzko, Oil, India Ink, Paint is from Cummington, MA

Greta was born and raised near Southampton. While in high school, her course selections included three art classes each day. Mrs. Harper, her high school art teacher, wrote in her yearbook, "May her ambition in life catch up to her excellent artwork." Greta remembers her grade school teacher, and thanks her for helping find her voice through art.  

Jump ahead years later to 2011, Greta delved into art as her life career. She finds the colors that surround her subjects with unique traits that surprise her clients and admirers. She prefers to paint with oils on canvas or canvas board.

REVIEW: Valley Classical Concerts, "Sergei Babayan"

Smith College, Northampton, MA 

www.valleyclassicalconcerts.org/concerts/

April 23, 2023 

by Michael J. Moran 

Sergei Babayan

Billed as featuring “music of Sergei Rachmaninoff, in honor of the 150th anniversary of his birth,” this sensational concert by Armenian-born, New York-based pianist Sergei Babayan also included music by other composers whom Rachmaninoff favored in his own career as a pianist. 

Opening with the monumental 1893 transcription for piano by Ferruccio Busoni of the Chaconne (a Spanish Baroque dance rhythm) from Johann Sebastian Bach’s 1720 second partita for violin, Babayan spared himself no challenge. His technical and interpretive command yielded spectacular results, shifting seamlessly from delicate lyricism to thunderous climaxes, and capturing both Bach’s classical balance and Busoni’s passionate romanticism. 

Next came Franz Liszt’s virtuosic transcriptions for solo piano of three songs by Franz Schubert for voice and piano: a poignant, rocking “The Miller and the Brook,” from the song cycle “The Miller’s Beautiful Daughter” (1823/1846); a restless, haunting “Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel” (1814/1838), inspired by Goethe’s “Faust;” and a gently flowing “To Sing on the Water” (1823/1837), reflecting on the passage of time. 

The heart of Babayan’s program was a four-piece set of Rachmaninoff’s most difficult pieces - two 1917 “Etudes Tableaux” (“Study Pictures”): a stormy Op. 39/5, and a tumultuous Op. 39/1; and two 1896 “Moments Musicaux” (“Musical Moments”): a shimmering Op. 16/2, and a jubilant Op. 16/6. All four express an almost continuous state of agitation, the first three (in minor keys), like anguished outcries, but the last (in C Major), like a burst of joy. Babayan played their torrents of notes with staggering power and clarity. 

A dramatic version of Liszt’s 1853 second Ballade alternated luminous calm with majestic rapture. And a protean reading of Robert Schumann’s kaleidoscopic 1838 “Kreisleriana,” an eight-part portrait of a manic-depressive fictional musician, closed the program. But time stood still when Babayan answered a standing ovation with as quiet an encore as his program had been bravura – a ravishing account of the sublime aria that launches Bach’s “Goldberg Variations.” It reflected the no-nonsense modesty and stamina of a pianist who played most of the concert without pause and seemed to channel Rachmaninoff himself.    

The 2022-2023 Valley Classical Concerts season will close with the Balourdet Quartet at the Bombyx Center in Northampton on May 21, 2023.

Review: UMass Amherst Fine Arts Center, "Martha Graham Dance Company"

University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA

fac.umass.edu

March 25, 2023

by Suzanne Wells

Even if one does not fully understand the abstract nuances of modern dance, the power and fluid grace of a Martha Graham Dance Company production is an experience to be appreciated. Presenting one and 1/8th of Martha Graham’s original choreographies, the Company returned to UMass for the first time in seven years to perform “Canticle for Innocent Comedians” along with highlights of the “Dark Meadow Suite,” and the debut of “Get Up, My Daughter.”

"The Canticle..." is a representation of nature. Eight vignettes representing the Sun, Earth, Wind, Water, Fire, Moon, Stars, and Death/Rebirth effortlessly flow one into the next. Originally choreographed by Martha Graham in 1952, inspired by a 1938 poem of the same name by Ben Belitt, the work has all been lost with the exception of Moon. The remaining vignettes, each choreographed individually by Sonya Tayeh, Alleyne Dance, Sir Robert Cohan, Juliano Nunes, Yue Yin, Micaela Taylor, and Jenn Freeman, incorporate the technically precise, natural movements for which Graham was known. The production is a remarkable display of the human body’s ability to move individually, as well as a melding of multiple bodies evoking images of the Hindu gods for creation and destruction, Brahma and Shiva. 

"The Dark Meadow Suite," also choreographed by Graham, was inspired by her study of Native American rituals. The dance is made up of tribal steps, with hints of kabuki and flamenco influences, as well as percussive sounds with the stamping of feet and the beating of thighs. Impressive for the strength and endurance required to produce and maintain the various poses, this dance is a sensual exploration to identify with oneself, one’s lover, and one’s community.

The debut of "Get Up, My Daughter," choreographed by Annie Rigney, was the unexpected highlight of the evening for both the audience and the performers, who literally finished the production hours before the curtain opened. This frenzied, passionate display of the universal struggle of woman to overcome hardship and prosper despite being shackled by themselves, and the men and women in their lives, is both historically disheartening and imminently optimistic. 

Review: UMass Amherst, "William Kanengiser: Diaspora"

UMass, Amherst, MA

www.fac.umass.edu

February 25, 2023

by Suzanne Wells

 

The frigid February night was perfect for an intimate evening in the Great Hall of the Old Chapel listening to classical acoustic guitar performed by world-renowned artist, William Kanengiser. Successfully combining storytelling and music in his Diaspora Project, William Kanengiser is preserving the wins and losses of immigrants around the world. 

 

Starting off with “Fantasia Sevillana” by Juaquin Turina, who, after studying impressionism in France, returned to Spain to incorporate it into Classical Spanish music. The disjointed first notes with hints of flamenco music soon morph into a melodic competition between a man and a bull. The increasing tempo of the music coincides with the drama of the story. When the final strings reverberate through the hall, one can almost hear a shout of “Olé!”

 

Moving to North Carolina, the Diaspora Project showcases Bryan Johanson’s “The Bootlegger’s Tale”. Divided into two parts, “Lament for a Broken Still” and “Ode to Whiskey,” the music conveys the stories handed down by generations of Irish immigrants known for their whiskey making during Prohibition. The “Lament…” is a series of scales played in increasing octaves, then repeated, representing the setting up and dismantling of stills. An “Ode to Whiskey” is a jig meant to extol the virtues of alcohol, but in this listener’s mind became a game of hide and seek between the bootleggers and the law in the forests of the Appalachian Mountains.

 

Heading east, the second commissioned work, “Lost Land” by Golfam Khayam, an Iranian composer, presents the story of returning home after a long period away only to find that nothing is as remembered. The melodic variations alternatively fill one with the excitement of reliving happy memories and the disappointment of finding those memories forever changed. A sixth string in a lower octave provides the foundation of time always moving forward.

 

After a brief stop in Cuba for some light-hearted fun with Léo Brouwer’s “Afro-Cuban Lullaby” and “Danza Carecteristica,” we land in Tibet, with Andrea Clearfield’s “Reflections on the Dranyen,” also commissioned for the Diaspora Project. In an attempt to preserve Nepal’s musical heritage, Clearfield composed an ode to a three-stringed instrument, the Dranyen.  The music starts off slowly, then picks up speed as if in celebration’ adding some percussion the melody takes on the frenzy of a rock concert before calming to more reflective tones, and ultimately ending with a fading heartbeat. 

 

Kanengiser closed the program with “3 African Sketches” by Duśan Bogdanović and the “Brookland Boogie” by Brian Head sending the audience off into a dark snowy night with toe-tapping hope.

REVIEW: Valley Classical Concerts, "Orion Weiss, William Hagen, Nicholas Canellakis"

Bombyx Center for Arts & Equity, Florence, MA 

www.valleyclassicalconcerts.org/concerts

January 15, 2023 

by Michael J. Moran 

This varied program by an ad hoc trio of soloists – pianist Orion Weiss, violinist William
Hagen, and cellist Nicholas Canellakis – could have been titled “A Century of Piano Trios,” as it moved from Haydn’s 1793 trio in A Major, the thirty-second of his forty-five works in that form, to Dvorak’s 1891 “Dumky” trio in E Minor, the last of his four such works, and back to Mendelssohn’s 1846 trio in C Minor, the second of his two piano trios. 

Haydn’s likeable music is a favorite concert opener to put audiences in a good mood, and, here, also to clarify the easy personal rapport and technical unanimity among these players, who all have extensive chamber music experience but are soloists in their primary careers. In their lively reading of his A Major trio, the “Allegro moderato” first movement was urgent and visceral; the “Andante,” a restful interlude; and the “Finale: Vivace assai,” a fast and furious race to the finish line. 

Dvorak’s “Dumky” trio derives its nickname from the Ukrainian word “dumka” (“thought,” plural “dumky”), which evolved into a Slavic folk ballad and, later, a classical music form depicting sudden happy-sad mood shifts. Like Haydn’s A Major trio, Dvorak’s E Minor defies the traditional four-movement structure, comprising six movements, all dumky. Introducing the piece, Weiss joked that it could almost be called “Six Slavonic Dances.” 

The Dumky’s open emotionalism gave each member of this world-class threesome a chance to shine. Hagen’s clear, silky tone thrived in the many upbeat, exuberant moments, while the warm, resonant timbre of Canellakis’ cello was most expressive in the darker, melancholy passages. Weiss provided a solid, steady underpinning for his flashier colleagues, while showing digital dexterity to spare.   

Hagen praised Mendelssohn’s C Minor trio for its “triumphant” finale (the silent Canellakis had temporarily “lost his voice”), which the ensemble rendered whole-heartedly, along with an animated opening “Allegro energico e con fuoco,” a graceful “Andante espressivo,” and an elfin “Scherzo: Molto allegro quasi presto.” The Bombyx's warm acoustic enhanced the drama of all three performances.

The next concert in Valley Classical’s season will present cellist Zlatomir Fung and pianist Janice Carissa on March 8, 2023 at Smith College, Northampton on March 8, 2023.

REVIEW: Valley Classical Concerts, Miro String Quartet

Smith College, Northampton, MA 

www.valleyclassicalconcerts.org/concerts

December 11, 2022 

by Michael J. Moran 

Miro Quartet

Founded in 1995, based in Austin, Texas, and named after groundbreaking Spanish surrealist artist Joan Miro, this probing and polished ensemble brought musical comfort with a varied selection of quartets from three centuries to an enthusiastic audience which braved a snowstorm to see them in the warm acoustics of this 600-seat venue.   

Opening with the light-hearted fiftieth (in B-flat Major, Op. 64/3) of Franz Joseph Haydn’s sixty-eight string quartets set a welcoming tone of high spirits for the afternoon. In the Miro’s virtuosic account of this 1790 score, the “Vivace assai” first movement was fleet and forceful, the “Adagio,” tender and flowing, the “Menuet and Trio: Allegretto,” playful and boisterous, and the “Finale: Allegro con spirito,” a headlong romp. 

First violinist Daniel Ching then introduced “Home,” a single-movement quartet written in 2019 for the Miro’s 25th anniversary by American composer Kevin Puts, whose latest opera, “The Hours,” just debuted at New York’s Metropolitan Opera. Reflecting the worldwide refugee crises of recent years, the 15-minute piece questions the very meaning of “home” in today’s world. 

From a peaceful start, which depicts, in the composer’s words, “an idealized version of home,” through a harrowing middle section to a conclusion of hard-won but unsettled consonance, the Miro played this powerful and touchingly accessible music with almost unbearable intensity. Cellist Joshua Grindele and violist John Largess provided notably solid rhythmic support. 

Closing their program with the dramatic thirteenth (in G Major, Op. 106) of Antonin Dvorak’s fourteen string quartets guaranteed that the Miro would send their listeners home in an upbeat mood. Their full-blooded rendition of this 1895 masterpiece featured a vibrant “Allegro moderato," a somber “Adagio ma non troppo,” an urgent “Molto vivace,” and an exhilarating “Finale: Andante sostenuto – Allegro con fuoco.” 

After tumultuous applause, second violinist William Fedkenheuer introduced the Miro’s heartwarming seasonal encore, an arrangement by their composer friend Joe Love of Franz Gruber’s classic carol, “Silent Night” (also the title of Puts’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 2011 opera about the 1914 World War I Christmas truce).

Next up in their 2022-2023 season, Valley Classical Concerts will present pianist Orion Weiss, violinist William Hagen, and cellist Nicholas Canellakis at the Bombyx Center in Northampton on January 15, 2023. 

Preview: Paradise City Arts Festival, “Talking to the Creators”

Fair Grounds, Northampton, MA

www.paradisecityarts.com

October 8, 9, 10, 2022

Twenty-five years ago, two artists had a vision – to create a world-class arts festival at the
historic, but admittedly rustic, fairgrounds in Northampton. “When we first walked the Northampton Fairgrounds in 1994, puzzling over the pieces that would come to be known as the Paradise City Arts Festival, we took a giant leap of faith,” say Founding Directors Linda and Geoffrey Post. “We pictured the Arena, a cavernous horse barn, transformed into a venue to showcase museum quality master craft and fine art. We worried whether we could draw serious art and craft lovers from across the country to the small New England town of Northampton.”

Currently, the Festival fills three newly erected buildings, an outdoor Sculpture Promenade, and a 12,000sq-ft Festival Dining Tent. The latter features on-going live music by local talent. The 1940's big band and jazz music of the O'Tones is just one of many groups performing over the course of three days. 

Visitors travel from all 50 states to experience an environment that features a collection of the nation’s finest craft makers and independent artists. In 1998, the Posts took their show on the road. They now hold a Paradise City Arts Festival in Boston’s western suburbs twice a year. 

Geoffrey & Linda Post

Both Geoffrey and Linda Post are practicing artists. “Making a living as a practicing artist is no easy thing,” Geoff explains, “being creative in your studio, coming up with a body of work that excites you, hoping that customers will respond, then packing it all up and bringing it to a show. But you’re still not done. You need to put on your marketing hat and connect with your customers and display your work in a way that people will respond to.” Their lives as artists lay the foundation for the guiding principles of Paradise City: respect artists in all ways possible, make shows easy, fun and profitable, and help artists reach an ever-growing audience at these shows and beyond.

“Our passion for art, sculpture and craft collecting has exposed us to a world of interesting ideas, fascinating and talented people and extraordinary experiences,” Geoff and Linda say. “Our travels have taken us to galleries in big cities and out-of-the-way places, art museums, alternative spaces, sculpture parks and artists’ studios. The one-of-a-kind world of Paradise City grows daily, filled with a community of like-minded individuals.

Preview: Ko Festival, "EZELL: Ballad of a Land Man"

Ko Festival, Hampshire College, Amherst, MA

www.kofest.com

July 29 - 31, 2022

Photo by Erica Fladeland

The final summer season of the Ko Festival of Performance closes with “EZELL: Ballad of a
Land Man” to be performed outdoors on the Hampshire College campus, July 29-31. An environmental, cultural, and spiritual parable of domination and resilience, “Ezell” explores the complexities of climate change, indigenous erasure, and environmental extraction (fracking). Ezell’s choices, traumas, and ancestors intersect with themes of domination and resilience as he seeks to take advantage of an anticipated fracking boom and the opportunity to reconnect with the people and land of his raising.

 

“Ezell” is in part a study of domination in the wide range of its prominent and more subtle forms — domination between a man and the land, between a man and other people, between a man and himself. It is in part a story about how climate change, the extractive resource industry and intergenerational trauma impact the choices and decisions of a man and the land he would like to call home. It is in part a ceremony that calls to our desire for connection and belonging, that reveres nature and binds us intimately within her, that invokes the resilience, love and lessons of our ancestors and generations yet to come.

 

Carrie Brunk, “Ezell” producer and ensemble artist says, “The development and sharing of this theatrical work is an attempt to make plain and disrupt domination: to reveal the patterns of domination behavior within this character Ezell, within his relationship to others and the land, within his livelihoods and his ways of being, within his ancestry and his belief system. It is meant for everyone who witnesses it as a motivation to continue — or an invitation to begin — the work of discovering and disrupting domination within and around themselves and to do so as an act of love and liberation.”

 

This immersive experience features a guided walk through the woods to the performance site on land, with live music before the play. The performance site will have folding chairs and risers, with some ground seating available. The play will be presented rain or shine. After the show, attendees are invited to join the artistic team and a panel of local experts in the air-conditioned Mainstage Theater in Emily Dickinson Hall, for a post-show discussion on the issues raised by the play, and their local ramifications.

 

Further information and tickets are available at kofest.com. The Box Office Phone line (413) 559-5351 opens July 18.

PREVIEW: The Mount, "Concerts in the Dell"

The Mount, Lenox, MA

www.edithwharton.org 

Six consecutive Thursdays

July 14 - August 18, 2022

6-8 pm

Join the musicians at The Mount for an exciting lineup of live music—ranging from globally-inspired jazz to indie blues—in a beautiful outdoor setting at the Dell, below the Mount's Stable. Concerts are held in an open-sided tent, rain or shine. Picnics are welcome, and BYOB (blankets and lawn chairs). Tickets can be purchased online or on-site prior to each event; minimum donation of $10 per person of which all proceeds will be directed to Cash for Refugees to support Ukrainian relief efforts.

Wanda Houston Band

On July 14th, the Wanda Houston Band kicks-off the series. This dynamic quartet specializes in the music of the ’30s through ’70s with a blend of rhythm, blues, jazz, and soul.

Muddy Ruckus

Guitarist Ryan Flaherty and drummer Erika Stahl play railroad indie punk

blues on July 21st. The duo blends rootsy guitar and edgy percussion on a suitcase drum

kit and are known for their full rock-band sound.

Mukana

Mukana is an eclectic gathering of world-class musicians hailing from Chile,

Haiti, Zimbabwe, Brazil, and the US. Fusing traditional songs and rhythms

with jazz and sublime arrangements, Mukana creates music that is a joyful celebration of our global community. The date is June 18th.

Heard World Jazz

Heard is a collective of musicians who bring their skills and passion for

world music, jazz, and improvising together on August 4th to create irresistible grooves

set in a unique sonic tapestry. Together for a decade, their vibrant sound

incorporates influences from West Africa, Brazil, and the Caribbean.

Misty Blues

On August 11th Misty Blues pays homage to the older blues popularized by the bold and

brassy women of its time, paying respect to classic male artists of the ’20s,

’30s, and ’40s. They also perform classic rock and folk tunes infused with a

healthy dose of the blues.

Pamela Meas Jazz Project

Closing out the summer series is the Pamela Means Jazz Project appearing on August 18th singing and playing jazz originals, contemporary jazzy covers, and Great American Songbook jazz standards from the ‘30s-’50s.

PREVIEW: Ko Festival, "Stepping Up/Stepping Back

Ko Festival, Hampshire College Campus, Amherst, MA

www.kofest.com

July 18-31, 2022

The Ko Festival of Performances’ 31st and season will include two productions curated around the theme of “Stepping Up/Stepping Back,” plus a Story Slam and the return of a favorite Personal Narrative workshop. This season’s events will take place on the Hampshire College campus, with indoor events in the air-conditioned Mainstage Theatre in Emily Dickinson Hall, and an outdoor event that will begin with a guided walk from Emily Dickinson Hall to an outdoor performance site at the Hampshire College Farm Center.

 

Scene from "Flushing"

The festival opens with “FLUSHING (Make Room for Someone Else),” created by Eric Bass, co- founder/Sandglass Theater and Linda Parris-Bailey, co-founder/Carpetbag Theatre, and directed by Kathie deNobriga. A puppet show with songs, made for adults, "FLUSHING" begins at the Brink, where two theater directors are passing the leadership of their ensembles to the next generation.This moment sparks a reflection on what it means to retire and what it might mean to inherit. For those stepping down, what do we leave and who do we become? For those stepping up, how do we take what is given and make it our own? Performances will be July 22- 24.

 

This year Ko welcomes back the “Story Slam & Celebration" on the Sunday evening of the first performance weekend, July 24 at 8pm. A celebration of KoFest’s three decades, featuring true stories on the season’s theme of “Stepping Up/Stepping Back.” There will be some ringers, and also some wild-card slots, for these stories about transitions. Special guest appearance by Sara Felder whose previous performances at Ko have made her a Ko audience favorite. Potential storytellers can email info@kofest.com to pitch a story.

 

The season closes with Clear Creek Creative’s “EZELL: Ballad of a Land Man,” with performances on July 29 -31. An environmental, cultural and spiritual parable of domination and resilience that explores the complexities of climate change, indigenous erasure and environmental extraction (fracking) is based on the artists’ lived experience in their rural Kentucky. This immersive outdoor experience features a contemplative walk through the woods to the performance site with live music, the play, a return walk and a post-show dialogue with the artists and a panel of local experts. 

PREVIEW: K and E Theater Group, Hedwig and the Angry Inch

K and E Theater Group, Northampton, MA

www.KETG.org

June 23-25, 2022

The Tony Award-winning glam rock musical “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” comes to Northampton Center for the Arts for 5 performances this summer. Marking its fourth full mainstage production of its Supersized Season Two, K and E Theater Group is also presenting this show as its first of an annual tradition to celebrate queer forward stories in their “Coming Out with Pride” series.

Innovative, heartbreaking, and savagely funny, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” is the landmark rock’n’roll musical with text by John Cameron Mitchell and music and lyrics by Stephen Trask that broke the mold and captured Broadway. This genre-bending, fourth-wall-smashing musical sensation, with a pulsing score and electrifying performances, tells the story of Hedwig Schmidt, an East German punk rock goddess whose botched sex change operation left her with just “an angry inch.” Now, she and her band are out to right many wrongs.

K and E Theater Group's production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch features Eddie Zitka as Hedwig, Kelly Gagner as Yitzhak, and David Webber as The Angry Inch. The band led by musical director Devi Badea, features Justin Rodzen, Charlotte Ross, and Mitch Tilghman. Direction is by K and E Theater Group Artistic Director Eddie Zitka.

This production contains mature themes, explicit language, and sexual content. Recommended age is 14+. Stage effects include strobes and bright moving lights.