RSS 2.0 FeedMid-July 2011, Cover Stories, Classical
Summerfest seeks to transform
Summerfest asks the question, “How has music transformed you?” as the through-line for its 2011 season. With Week One offerings ranging from new works to classic favorites, the audiences was treated to fine performance of rarities.
Summerfest’s artistic team consistently offers a series that is innovative and compelling. Pulling together some of the most talented instrumentalists in Kansas City, Summerfest has made it their mission to explore little known or underperformed pieces that feature flexible ensembles. This Summer they explore transformations in music and ask the question, “How has music transformed you?”
Week one of the four week July series got off to a great start last weekend with Liguria, for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano by Elizabeth Brown. The piece immediately evokes a sense of muddled memory. Brown references traditional folk tunes but transforms them into shadows of recognizable melodies. She remained off-kilter by using bitonality, warped vibrato, and breath-like swooshing sounds courtesy of flutist Shannon Finney. The instruments slid on strings and bended pitches creating harmonies that were almost just right but intentionally off. Liguria sounded like a warped carnival mirror, misshapen yet, colorful, reflective and worth the glimpse.
Vocalist Gwen Coleman Detwiler joined clarinetist Jane Carl, harpsichordist Marie Rubis Bauer and Finney for Four Fragments from the Canterbury Tales by Lester Trimble. Using the Prologue and the tales from the Knight, The Young Squire and the Wife of Bath, the composer created a set in 1967 that still sounded fresh and alive today. The balance favored the instruments in the first piece but was quickly corrected as Detwiler became more comfortable with the acoustics of the hall. She has a light timbre and a consistent range that is pleasing and easy to listen to. She sang the pieces in Middle English which made understanding the text a challenge thankfully the program had the modern translation. To make this a more accessible set, supertitles or a short verbal explanation of the text might have enhanced the performance of this very interesting piece.
After the intermission, Detwiler returned for a set of Baroque songs by Henry Purcell. The first piece, Music for a while, is, ironically, a song that has had a transformative effect on me. The deliciously sinewy bass was well executed by cellist Alexander East and the web-like accompaniment performed by Rubis Bauer was perfect. The song tells the tale of Orpheus raising the ghost of Laius to learn the origin of a curse that plagued Thebes. The imagery is twisted and mired in underworld illusion. Detwiler’s intonation never failed and her interpretation was spot on. I appreciated her use of a creative cadenza at the end. It’s refreshing to hear a singer take liberties to make the song their own. Well played/sung. The second song, Sweeter than Roses was an immaculate display of virtuosity. At the conclusion of the set, I wanted nothing more than to hold up a lighter in honor of the performance.
The Mozart Piano Quartet in G minor, K. 478 closed the program. Here the pianist, Dan Velicer, had a chance to shine. Together with violinist Mary Grant, violist Jessica Nance and East, the ensemble infused the work with all of the charm Mozart is known for. The ensemble delivered a tight conversational rendition. Dan Velicer gave an outstanding performance. He is a pianist who has an earnest elegance and a warm fluidity of motion. Audiences are in good hands when they have the pleasure of hearing him.
Summerfest is a series not to be missed. The quality and caliber of the players, the creative programming, the cool, comfortable venues and the welcoming post-concert receptions make the experience worth every penny of the ticket price.
REVIEW:
Summerfest
Transformations Week One
Saturday July 9, 2011 at 7 p.m. (REVIEWED)
White Recital Hall, UMKC
4949 Cherry, Kansas City, MO
Sunday July 10, 2011 at 5 p.m.
St. Mary’s Episcopal Church
1307 Holmes. Kansas City, MO
For more information visit www.summerfestkc.org
Top Photo: Summerfest musicians
Classical, Vocal and Theatre Contributor
Megan Browne Helm grew up singing, dancing and acting. Inspired by Emma Kirkby as a high school student in St. Louis she went on to study voice and sing with the Collegium Musicum at the Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio where she also had a radio show of contemporary classical music on WOBC. At the University of Kansas she had the pleasure of working with former Kings’ Singer, Simon Carrington in his Collegium Musicum and Oread consort. Years later, she was a choral fellow at the Yale School of Music’s Norfolk Chamber Music Festival. She is currently singing with the Kansas City Symphony Chorus under the direction of Charles Bruffy.
As a freelance music and culture writer her work can be found on KCMetropolis.org, presentmagazine.com, the Lawrence Journal World, Shawnee Magazine, Leawood Lifestyle Magazine and KC Parent. She was one of 26 journalists in the country chosen as a NEA Institute Fellow for Classical Music and Opera at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
Her current interest is how classical music remains relevant through active collaborations with artists in different fields, including science. She also sees a connection between classical music, travel and food as a way to engage all of the senses in a 360 degree cultural experience. She blogs at raworganum.wordpress.com.
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