Call it festival fatigue or a festival hangover, but music lovers are still recovering from what may well have been the finest season ever of Music in the Mountains.
(And since I’ve attended at least one concert in every one of the 27 seasons of the three-week musical festival, I may have the standing to thus opine.)
I wrote in a previous column that sometimes at a concert, I am so overcome by the beauty of the music that I find myself shedding a tear or two. This festival set a record for that as well – all told, a tear dripped down my cheek five times. Now, that’s saying something.
The five instances were all in the final eight days and were: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C minor and Gershwin’s Concerto in F for Piano and Orchestra at the Dramatic Passage concert at the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College (two in one concert, another personal best); Mendelssohn’s Octet for Strings in E-flat at Elements of Rhythm at the First Baptist Church of Durango; Helen Welch’s “I’ll Be Seeing You,” at Swing, Swing, Swing at the Festival Tent at Durango Mountain Resort; and Rachel Barton-Pine’s magnificent performance of Henri Vieuxtemps’ Violin Concerto No. 5 in A minor. (I’m getting a little teary-eyed just remembering them.)
The First Baptist Church is a wonderful new venue, with great acoustics, excellent sight lines from every seat and air conditioning. It was great fun having a concert whose first half focused on Music in the Mountains’ talented woodwinds and brass and the second on the Mendelssohn, which allowed Music Director Guillermo Figueroa to show exactly why he’s a renowned violinist as well as a conductor. And he wasn’t even playing his Stradivarius!
Swing, Swing, Swing was conducted by festival favorite Carl Topilow, who must have a seamstress on call, as he always has a matching – and smashing – jacket lining and tie. He brought vocalist Helen Welch, who hails from England by way of Ohio, and has a voice made for the music of the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s.
The festival tried something new this year by opening the dance floor for both the Nosotros and Swing concerts, which ended up being both a roaring success and a challenge. How many of us talk to our partners when we’re dancing? Not so cool when many of the people in the room are there to hear a concert. A quandary to be addressed for next year.
And the final concert of the season, Symphonic Poetry,” lived up to its name in spades. I saw Barton-Pine when she played with the San Juan Symphony in 2009, so I was expecting something special, and she delivered. Vieuxtemps was the teacher of her teacher of her teacher of her teacher, or her great-grandteacher, so the piece had special meaning for her. This was the fourth time she played the piece with an orchestra, something Figueroa said he had never heard, and it is a work that requires everything a violinist can bring.
She also told the story of her 1742 Guarneri violin, the “ex-Soldat.” I didn’t realize that there are only 5 percent as many Guarneris (40) extant in the world as Stradivari (more than 700), so it’s a rarity indeed to have the privilege of hearing one played by such a talent.
Laura Leisring, the principal bassoonist in the orchestra, had a fun exchange with Barton-Pine the previous evening when they traded lullaby CDs they had each recorded.
I would be remiss if I didn’t give a special mention to cellist Jesús Castro-Balbi’s amazing performance of Jimmy López’ “Lord of the Air,” a homage to the Andean condor. The piece is dedicated to Castro-Balbi (the two are both originally from Peru), and this was only the second time it has been performed. The sense of the thin high air, the sensation of the condor beating its wings against the air were so palpable, people were holding their breath.
Despite a sparse turnout for the first weekend, ticket sales were up over last year, making it a second record-breaking year. About 10,000 were sold. Four events sold out, Dramatic Passage, Celestial Splendor at St. Columba Catholic Church, Swing, Swing,Swing, Swing and the Clavier Trio at Roshong Recital Hall.
Tickets only account for about 20 percent of the cost of the festival – 60 professional musicians, directors and soloists for three weeks along with myriad expenses don’t come cheap – so the festival depends on donors and corporate sponsors to make the magic happen.
Linda Mack Berven’s pre-concert lectures were a big hit, with more than 100 people filling the room at the final one. More than 500 people attended the revamped Family Festivo at the Durango Discovery Museum, which will be adjusted some next year to make it work even better logistically.
Music in the Mountains has a large board of directors with 20 members, but this is a big undertaking, and they are definitely a working board. John Anderson, who originally agreed to serve as president of the board for one year, has signed up for one more. Kudos to his wife, Cissy, who was stalwart herself in attending so many events. I hope she’ll forgive him.
Angie Beach, at the end of her first festival as executive director, and her crew of Julie Brown, Amber Newman and Cory Jameson are still standing after putting in a yeoman’s effort. They’re taking next week off for a much-needed break, so the offices will be closed.
It’s only 49 weeks until the 28th festival begins on July 13, 2014. I have it on good authority that festival favorite pianist Aviram Reichert will be returning.
HHH
Celebrating their birthdays in the last few weeks of freedom before school begins – my internal calendar still feels like summer starts in September – are Wanda Ollier, Mary Chapel, Nancy Peake, Gordon Thomas, Debbe Speck, Maren Stransky, Dianne Millarch, Susana Nastacio, Evan Hening, John Priaulx, Reagan Bennett, Charlie Diehl, Mimi Smith, Lynn Weger, Ernie Gregg, Amanda McKown, Byard Peake, Susan Rambo, Tina Trotter, Gracie Goldman, Beau Smith, Kyler Harbison, Justin Markley, Jeff David, Pat Wainwright, Lynda Berger and Nick Betts.
HHH
An August anniversary means fresh-squeezed lemonade and strawberry shortcake for Robert and Shirley Newby, O.D. and Betty Perry, Jack and Annelore Miller, Len and June Hahl (63 years!), Wayne and Rose Hilgedick, Gerry and Muriel Mulder, Darrell and Mary Brown, Kirk and Ginny Dignum, Kathie and Jim Hudson, Mick Souder and Linda Schwinghammer and Bruce and Jane Carman.
HHH
Here’s how to reach me: neighbors@durangoherald.com; phone 375-4584; mail items to the Herald; or drop them off at the front desk.
