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A private concert with Reichert, Hannigan

Whenever I hear music written centuries ago, I picture myself gowned, jeweled and bewigged in a nobleman’s salon hearing the piece for the first time.

That was particularly true July 19 at the home of Katy Freiberger and Lawrence Althouse, when they treated about 40 people to a private concert by Music in the Mountains pianist Aviram Reichert and oboist Erin Hannigan, a performance the hosts purchased at a fundraiser for the classic music festival in March.

Chuck Norton Catering prepared quite the spread – my favorite was the shrimp Wellington – and Animas Chocolate Co. provided chocolate they had donated as a new festival sponsor.

Of course, the musicians made the largest donation, sharing their time and talent to prepare, rehearse and perform an extra concert in an already packed festival schedule. This was one of many private parties during the festival with performances donated by musicians, and I’m embarrassed to say that when Jill Ward, president of Music in the Mountains’ board, won the bid as a proxy, I went over and invited myself, because this was one performance I didn’t want to miss.

Reichert played two pieces solo, Franz Schubert’s “Impromptu, Opus 90, 2” and César Franck’s Prelude, Chorale and Fugue, giving us a bit of a music lesson in introducing them before creating that intimate salon experience I mentioned earlier. Then Hannigan joined him for Antonio Pascuilli’s “Scherzo Brilliance.” He was the Paganini (one of the greatest violinists of all time) of the oboe, and he wrote this to showcase his talent. No piker herself, Hannigan proceeded to blow us away – at altitude. I was breathless myself at the end.

One of the best parts was watching all the hosts’ neighbors walking by and pausing to listen to this very special performance before continuing on their way.

Thanks to all involved for a memorable evening.

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Trying to blow out their birthday candles before the wind beats them to it are Caroni Adams, Damian Peduto, Janey Silver, Merrilee Fleming, Carla Branson, Carol Gunderson, Wanda Ellingson, Alona Grinnan, Arthur Jacobs, Lea Leach, Amelia Yeager, Alice Crapo, Cheryl Birchard, Carolyn Brown, Harlan Steinle, Suzanne Sullivan and Doug Mason.

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The worst part of Music in the Mountains is that it includes so many wonderful music experiences in such a concentrated period of time. Each performance is worthy of savoring, but it tends to become a blur when it’s one after another.

I spaced writing about the benefit performance at the Glacier Club by Sybarite5 at the beginning of the festival in last week’s column. Of course, the Glacier Club offers one of the most gorgeous views in an area loaded with them, and the chef and crew can be counted on for an unbeatable spread.

Sybarite5 is a genre-bending group of young musicians – they met while they were students at the Aspen Music Festival, so they have a special place in their hearts for Colorado, they said. Because the Glacier Club concert was a benefit, the tickets were out of many locals’ price range, but the group also performed in Cortez and Pagosa Springs as part of the festival, and I have heard rave reviews for those performances as well.

How can one not love a group that plays tangos by Piazzolla (violinist Sami Merdinian hails from Argentina and “brought a suitcase full of tango music”), “Weird Fishes” by Radiohead – they have a whole album of the seminal indie-rock band’s music – and music composed especially for them. To top it off, their encore was “Heartbreaker” by Led Zeppelin. And you thought classical music was stodgy.

Instead of binders of sheet music, they play from iPads, with a foot pedal to forward pages. It saves having to travel with heavy music, and they can write reminders on the music with their fingers. The only challenge, they said, is making sure everything is fully charged come performance time.

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Music in the Mountains’ largest fundraiser of the year is Pops Night, which they moved from a Wednesday night, the tradition for as long as I can remember, to a Friday night this year. The change allowed more people to enjoy the evening, because folks in the workforce didn’t have to get up early the next morning. The event sold out, and she could have sold five more tables, Music in the Mountains Executive Director Angie Beach said if Fire Marshal Karola Hanks of the Durango Fire Protection District hadn’t required pesky details like easy access to exits in case of emergency.

The High Notes, a fundraising arm of the classical music festival, once again wowed with the decorations, which included sparkling turquoise table toppers with centerpieces of turquoise feathers. Because the theme of the evening was “Simply Swingin’ with Sinatra,” sponsor First Southwest Bank presented party favors of mini-bottles of Jack Daniels, “Ol’ Blue Eyes’” favorite potent potable.

It takes many hands to pull an event like this off. Kathy Deaderick, for example, ironed the 260 napkins folded in the form of a formal jacket, while the tuxedo shirtfront and bow tie inside flipped over to include the menu. (I have a photo of this attached to my column online.)

Jimmy Nicholson of Durangourmet once again prepared an interesting and delicious menu. I particularly liked the mahi mahi with golden beet-orange salsa. Guest vocalist Steve Lippia not only performed Sinatra hits, he treated the crowd to songs by Bobby Darren, Billy Joel, Vic Damone and Tony Bennett.

To say the evening was a delight is not an overstatement.

•••

Enjoying some juicy Palisade peaches for their anniversaries are Bob and Mary Sieger, John and Judy Peel, Harlan and Bonna Steinle and Judy and Dan Harris.

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neighbors@durangoherald.com



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