Grammy-nominated conductor leads Skagit Opera
by Dr. Mitchell Kahn

The Skagit Opera opened its two week run of Puccini’s beloved opera, Madam Butterfly, at McIntyre Hall led by its rising international star conductor, Alastair Willis, 2009 Grammy nominee for “Best Classical Recording.” Willis’ dramatic conducting produced a fine, nuanced performance of electrifying intensity.

Madam Butterfly, one of the all-time favorite operas, full of passion and pathos, tells the story of the love between an American sailor and a Japanese Geisha during the opening of Japan at the beginning of the 20th century. Leading an international star cast, German soprano Christina Kowalski singing the demanding title role for the first time in the United States, portrayed a character of extraordinary complexity, dramatic and poignant. Tenor Stephen Rumph, the handsome and rakish Pinkerton, produced a lovely legato that was both soaring and unspeakably tender. New York City Opera veteran baritone, Charles Robert Stephen sang gorgeously and acted flawlessly as the sympathetic counsel, Sharpless. Seattle Opera regulars, Sarah Mattox and Karl Marx Reyes gave polished and idiomatic performances of Suzuki and Goro, equal to any on the national opera scene today.

The beautiful set, evocative of an old Japan, redolent with cherry blossoms, shoji screens and pale moonlight, provides a admirable frame for the unfolding drama.

Photo credit - John Janson

Skagit Opera performs in Mt Vernon at McIntyre Hall, a beautiful, intimate venue noted for its excellent acoustics, designed by the same firm that designed Benaroya Hall in Seattle. With ticket prices one-quarter that of the Seattle Opera, the Skagit Opera is an amazing bargain. Their performances should not be missed by any anyone who appreciates live classical vocal music. Remaining tickets at the box office http://www.skagitopera.org.

# # #

WSO sends valentine
by Christopher Key

Valentine’s Day, a sunny afternoon and a Whatcom Symphony Orchestra concert. It doesn’t get much better than that. As Maestro Roger Briggs noted, there was a certain family feeling about the whole thing. Samuel Adler, who wrote the latest work in the American Composers series, studied with the legendary Aaron Copland. Christopher Theofanadis, who composed the bassoon concerto performed by guest artist Martin Kuuskman, studied with Adler.

Adler’s work, All Nature Plays led off the concert. The composer himself was in attendance and described what inspired the work. Apparently, he was sitting on his back deck when a rabbit leaped out of the woods and proceeded to roll around on his back, kicking his feet in the air. A hare-raising experience, no doubt. The playfulness of the rabbit and the accompanying bird songs provided the necessary inspiration.

It’s a difficult piece for the orchestra, with the various sections tossing musical phrases back and forth in a playful manner. The WSO brought it off with aplomb and elicited some appreciative chuckles from the audience at one particularly witty part. A tip of the hat to the percussionists who had a rather busy time of it.

Franz Schubert provided the second piece on the program with his Symphony No. 5 in B-flat Major. It’s a lovely and rather subdued work that was unfortunately spoiled for some by two unbelievably rude people who talked nonstop through the performance. I was sitting near the back and it turned out that the yakkers were the Mount Baker Theatre technicians. They, of all people, should bloody well know better. I had a chat with an usher during intermission and peace reigned for the rest of the concert. Lovely work by the orchestra despite my being somewhat distracted.

Bassoonist Martin Kuuskman is a genuine superstar who was born in Estonia, but now makes his home here in Whatcom County. He’s had many works composed specifically for him and it’s easy to understand why. His virtuosity is stunning and his lungs must be the size of the Goodyear blimp, despite his slender frame. Christopher Theofandis dedicated his Concerto for Bassoon and Chamber Orchestra to Kuuskmann and it’s hard to imagine anyone else even attempting it. The audience was on its feet at the end and Kuuskman obliged everyone with a brief encore.

Maestro Briggs and the orchestra put an exclamation point at the end of the concert with Aaron Copland’s beloved Appalachian Spring. What better way to leave a concert that with “Simple Gifts” embedded in your internal soundtrack? Props to the woodwinds and pianist Andrea Rackl. Impresario extraordinaire Jack Frymire said after the program, “That’s the cleanest I’ve ever heard them play.” I couldn’t have said it better and won’t even try.

Next on the WSO calendar is a March 14 concert featuring Gustav Holst’s The Planets and Edvard Grieg’s immortal Piano Concerto. See www.whatcomsymphony.com for more details and call the MBT box office at (360) 734-6080 to reserve your tickets.

# # #

Soprano sensation soars
by Christopher Key

There are a number of reasons why many of us get humbugged by Christmas music at this time of year. First, it seems to start sometime in September and by the time the holidays arrive, it’s wearing thin. Second, those insipid elevator arrangements are enough to drive Santa Claus up the wall. Third, it’s because we don’t get to hear Lynden’s Katie Van Kooten sing them. Her astonishing voice would bring new life to the most annoying commercial jingle and make you want to shout, “Bravo!” I don’t use exclamation points lightly.

Van Kooten enthralled an audience with carols familiar and unfamiliar at Western Washington University’s Performing Arts Center this evening. It was a fundraiser for the Bellingham Festival of Music and it was nothing short of thrilling. Van Kooten’s voice has been compared to that of Kiri Te Kanawa and it’s not even remotely hyperbolic. There is a richness of tone that is normally associated with contraltos, but Van Kooten maintains it even when soaring in the soprano stratosphere.

Photo credit: Sussie Ahlburg

She was accompanied by Brett Strader at the concert grand and Krista Strader on the harp. These musicians are definitely playing in Van Kooten’s league and were consummately professional. My only gripe was that the concert grand often overwhelmed the harp and that was a grave disservice. Krista Strader is one of the top harpists in the world and during the one number she did with Van Kooten without the piano, her playing was nothing less than angelic. That is in no way meant to be a criticism of her hubby’s prodigious talents as an arranger and accompanist. The harp should have been miked.

Speaking of angelic, Van Kooten was backed on several numbers by the Celestial Voices, a group of eight- to ten-year- old young ladies who are part of the music program at Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth. If they were nervous about sharing the stage with a performer of Van Kooten’s status, it didn’t show. However, I am willing to bet that not one of them will ever forget it. Their professionalism is a tribute to BAAY impresario David Post, who conducted them. I hope no one will ever take for granted the miracles that Post accomplishes with his young charges.

Van Kooten performed many holiday favorites with the grace and warmth that have made her an international star. Toward the end of the concert, she also demonstrated that she is equally at home in the jazz idiom. Her take on “The Christmas Song,” and “White Christmas” must have made Tormé and Berlin very proud.

I recently performed “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” in a program of Christmas songs and stories and am seriously contemplating retirement after hearing Van Kooten’s version. It is very humbling to hear a true superstar make that number her own. There were times during the concert when her voice made every hair on my body stand on end and I expect that my goosebumps may be permanent.

One of the few disappointments about last summer’s Bellingham Festival of Music was that Van Kooten only had a very brief solo in Brahms’ Requiem. This concert made up for that by letting us hear our homegrown diva in all her glory.

Since this was all about the Bellingham Festival of Music, it’s important to know that they’ve announced their 2010 season. You can check it out at www.bellinghamfestival.org and you’d better get your tickets now. The BFOM was sold out for most of last season and deservedly so.

And if you ever miss a chance to hear Katie Van Kooten, just shoot yourself.

# # #

WSO flourishes surprises
by Kathryn Murray

The Whatcom Symphony Orchestra’s Holiday Treasures concert at the Mount Baker Theatre Sunday, December 6th, surely brought surprises as promised. Members of Western Washington University’s Concert Choir, directed by Leslie Guelker-Cone, slowly promenaded down the aisles with illuminated candles to a stirring rendition of The Boar’s Head Carol in Latin and English.

Artistic Director Roger Briggs conducted the orchestra in two dreamy Ralph Vaughn Williams selections, Wassail Song and a Fantasia on Greensleeves arranged by Greaves. All donning Santa hats, Jacob Scherr, guest conductor, and the symphony skillfully performed three popular traditional Christmas tunes: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, The Christmas Song and White Christmas, which enthralled the packed theatre and set some to humming. The lighting design on stage and in the house added another dimension to the holiday concert. Beautiful reds, greens and blues lit the musicians and audience fairly undulated with the beat under Scherr’s direction.

A delightful dance interlude from Northwest Ballet with company members Amber Johnson, Jordan Assink and Marley Keel was one of the surprises of the concert. Splendidly choreographed selections from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite fully captured the essence and mood of his dances. One wonders how they had enough room to dance on stage alongside 75 orchestra members and 43 choir members.

Conrad Susa’s A Christmas Garland conducted by Guelker-Cone and performed beautifully by the WWU Concert Choir and the Whatcom Symphony orchestra added a fresh sound to a potpourri of traditional Christmas songs. The new arrangements and intricate rhythms (particularly We Three Kings in 7/8) by Susa are challenging, but the musicians pulled it off magnificently. This work featured not only the choir and orchestra, but the audience had a part as well. Scripted lyrics in the program allowed the audience to sing along with the musicians. A rousing Joy to the World rounded out the first half of the concert.

Photo courtesy Whatcom Symphony Orchestra.

Opening the second half of the concert, Maestro Briggs conducted the WSO in Dona Nobis Pacem, another Ralph Vaughn Williams selection. The Cantata featured talented soloists, soprano Annie Kruger, baritone James Reynolds, and baritone Colin Ward. Although the piece was stirring, moving and beautiful, and the musicians and singers were exceptional, the audience may have been expecting lighter entertainment at this holiday season. Listening to the work brought on tears to some and may have prompted others to go out and purchase a recording as it was so magnificently performed. However, in light of what’s happening in the world, it wasn’t a piece that would brighten the holiday season nor could one go home humming. Reading up on the work, reviewers describe the piece as Vaughn Williams’ “optimistic plea for peace.” So in support of Briggs choice, that plea is certainly something we could covet this holiday season. The WSO and vocalists are to be applauded for their exceptional performance of this Vaughn Williams work.

Lo, How a Rose serenely performed by a WSO quartet was a beautiful segué as the WWU Concert Choir with candles surrounded the audience. As Guelker-Cone directed from the back, the choir sang a beautiful arrangement of Silent Night sung in German and English, ending the concert with an emotional and moving tribute to the Holiday Treasures.

# # #

Chang enchants WSO audience
by Christopher Key

One of the gifts of old age is that I no longer care if anyone thinks I am a male chauvinist animal of the porcine persuasion when I mention that a woman is stunningly beautiful. If I pretended not to notice that Whatcom Symphony Orchestra featured soloist Sarah Chang is gorgeous, it would be hypocritical. I’d rather be an MCP than a hypocrite. More on that in a moment.

I apologize to everyone for not reviewing the WSO’s first concert last month. I was suffering from what was almost certainly the H1N1 and I hope everyone appreciates that I stayed home and kept it to myself. Now, can we please get on with the review?

This afternoon’s WSO concert at the Mount Baker Theatre was sold out and that’s a wonderful thing in these recessionary times. Chang undoubtedly had a lot to do with that, but it means more people are exposed to our homegrown orchestra and that’s why they bring in guest artists. The WSO will keep people coming back on its own merits.

Maestro Roger Briggs did his usual top-notch job of assembling a varied and interesting program. What better way to get the audience’s attention than with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s overture to The Marriage of Figaro, K. 492? It’s quintessential Mozart, full of life and good humor. There are some rather blistering string passages that can easily become muddy. The WSO strings kept them crisp, and that’s no small achievement.

Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92 was next on the bill. It’s not the most famous of the master’s symphonies and maybe that’s why it’s one of my favorites. It has some of his most memorable melodies and seems somehow more focused that the more famous Fifth and Ninth.

The woodwinds carried the first two movements, but the rest of the orchestra seemed a bit off its game. They hit their stride in the third movement and it was smooth sailing from there. Tympanist Stephanie Straight got quite the aerobic workout in the allegro con brio fourth movement. As I have mentioned before, I am something of a percussionist myself and like to give those hard-working folks their strokes. Straight is a total pro and a real gift to the WSO.

After the intermission, Chang appeared in a hot pink gown that evoked an almost seismic gasp from the audience. And it wasn’t just the men who were gasping. When she takes the stage, there is no doubt that it has been seriously taken. She performed Johannes Brahms’ Concerto for Violin, Op. 77.

When that work was first performed, one critic called it a “Concerto Against the Violin,” which sounds more like one of the works of P.D.Q. Bach. Subsequent performances have gotten a much kinder reception. It is the perfect showcase for Chang’s prodigious talents. I use the word prodigious advisedly.

Photo credit - Colin Bell, IMG Artists

Chang’s parents were Korean, but she was born in Philadelphia and began her studies of the violin at age four. She studied at Juilliard and began performing at age eight with the New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Since then, she has taken the classical music world the way Sherman took Atlanta and has won too many awards and accolades to count.

Her stage presence is as magnetic as Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg’s, but not quite as physical. That’s not to say that she doesn’t rock out a bit. There are some charming dance kicks and a bit of foot stomping. She also has a trademark flourish with the bow at the end of particularly intense passages that reminds me somehow of a master of the light-saber.

The technical mastery is that of an accomplished virtuoso, but there is no lack of that intangible element called soul. She obviously feels the music and can communicate that feeling and delight to the audience masterfully. There were times that the audience was literally holding its breath during some passages. I know this because there was a very audible exhalation at the end.

This afternoon’s audience was on its feet as the last note died away and brought her back for five bows. Like a true showbiz pro, she declined to do an encore. Always leave them wanting more.

Did I mention that she’s beautiful?

# # #

Cabaret lives!
by Christopher Key

Start with a cup of cabaret, add a soupcon of Cirque de Soleil, throw in a dash of the Rocky Horror Picture Show and you might have something resembling Vagabond Opera. Except that doesn’t begin to describe the Portland band that blew everyone away at the Wild Buffalo last night. The fact is that there is no easy way to describe a musical aggregation that incorporates opera, klezmer, gypsy and a dozen other influences into their act.

I truly love acts that can’t be pigeonholed and Vagabond Opera defies definition. I’m honestly straining for adjectives to describe this group and frankly admit that I have run out. They have created a niche all their own and all I can do is try to come up with some way to metaphor them.

Let’s start with the fact that I was invited to review their show at the Wild Buffalo that was supposed to start at 9:00. By 10:00 nothing had happened and I was getting a bit pissy because I was expecting to review a show, go home, write a review, and be in bed by midnight. Silly me.

Things started to happen a little after 10:00, but it was just the opening acts. They ranged from mediocre to awful and that’s neither here nor there. My purpose was to review Vagabond Opera and my journalistic soul demanded that I endure whatever was necessary in order to get to the heart of the matter.

It was after 11:00 before the headliners came on and I was beginning to lose focus a bit, as befits a man who is a year away from collecting Social Security. One thing I have learned in all these years is that there are some things worth waiting for and Vagabond Opera is one of them. They are nothing short of sensational and they are also indescribable.

Their musical influences range from French cabaret to Gypsy angst to Jewish celebration. And that doesn’t begin to encompass what they do. They create a European cabaret from the 1930s, throw in some Tin Pan Alley, and make it rock like a 1980s disco. Fortunately, there were no strobe lights or disco balls.

One of the things I take pride in is my objectivity. I go to events like this, observe with journalistic distance and report the facts. Vagabond Opera demolished that foolish pretension with their first notes. I was on my feet and wiggling like no one my age should. Their beat is that infectious.

A young theatre friend was sitting next to me and she had obviously clued in to Vagabond Opera some time ago. I kept trying to maintain my cherished objectivity, but she lured me to the dance floor where I frankly boogied my ass off. This is not something a reviewer ordinarily does. Well, excuuuuuuuse me. I couldn’t help myself. Vagabond Opera demands that you dance, regardless of whether you have any talent for it. So I made a fool of myself, dancing with a woman who is about the same age as my granddaughter. She was gracious enough to put up with it and I am very grateful. That’s what Vagabond Opera does to normally sane people. They have a formula that releases us from everyday existence and transports us into a fantasy that is addictive enough to be classified as a dangerous substance. Let’s hope the DEA doesn’t clue into what these folks do.

I have to fall back into Boomer vernacular and say that they are a happening.

# # #

Viens’ voice students victorious
by Christopher Key

If the first performance by a new group called Opera Popolare is any indication, there is a major new player on the local music scene. The name means People’s Opera and part of its mission is “…to make opera accessible to a wider audience by controlling the length and cost of entry.” An admirable goal, indeed.

Their first production was an abridged version of Christoff Willibald Gluck’s Orfeo ed Eurydice and it couldn’t have been more impressive. They sounded like a much more seasoned company. That is due in large part to voice teacher Rob Viens whose gifts cannot be overstated. All of the vocalists in this production were his students with one exception. More on that in a moment.

Orfeo ed Eurydice is one of those iconic love stories that has inspired enough music and theatre to be almost an industry unto itself. When Orfeo loses his beloved, his grief is such that it moves Amore, the goddess of love, to permit him access to the underworld in order to bring her back. There is, of course, a catch. He can’t look at her until they have returned to earth. Euridice is restored to life, but hasn’t read the fine print. Not understanding the reason why Orfeo won’t look at her, she bewails his lack of passion until he finally gives in and looks at her. With predictable results. Orfeo, in despair over his dead again love, tries to do himself in. He is stopped by Amore, who is a sucker for happy endings. Eurydice is resurrected for a second time and everyone lives happily ever after.

As Viens pointed out in his introductory remarks, this was a rather radical departure for opera, which tends to have a high body count by the final curtain. Gluck’s opera premiered in Vienna in 1762 and remains as powerful today as it was then. Viens’ wife Carrie thoughtfully provided a translation of the Italian lyrics by means of supertitles, but the performances were so captivating that I rarely looked at them.

Chief among those performances was that of Celie Thomas as Orfeo. Her rich and vibrant voice brought Orfeo’s passion to life. Her passion was also the driving force behind the formation of the company and this performance. Bravo!

The only member of the company who was not one of Viens’ students was Charlotte Sather, a voice teacher in her own right. She gave a sensitive performance as Eurydice that was beautifully understated, a rare thing in opera.

Lauren Delorme, whose talents never cease to amaze, played Amore. Her voice is nothing short of thrilling and her stage presence is that of a far more experienced performer.

Every one of the chorus members deserved a solo and the least I can do is give them a shout-out here. The sopranos were Brittany Goldsmith, Wendy Donaghy and Denise Reynolds. Singing alto were Heidi Roland, Sonia Alexis and Karen Powers. Carlo Furlan, Jeremiah O’Brine and Bill Simpkins sang tenor. Basses were Lee Potzler and Alec Smith.

Most of the orchestra members were recruited from the Whatcom Symphony Orchestra and also deserve mention. Laura Barnes and Kris Turner played violin. Becky Elmendorf played viola and Adrianne Syvertson played cello. The two oboes were played by Kristin Gillig and Calyx Hoag. Katie O’Rourke shined on the keyboard.

The careful planning that went into this production was evidenced by the fact that the orchestra and singers were perfectly balanced, a not inconsiderable achievement. The acoustics at the Fountain Community Church were perfect for a production like this, but it almost didn’t hold the audience. The pews were packed and that is further evidence that Opera Popolare is a force to be reckoned with.

That full house gave the performers a well-deserved standing ovation at the end and occasionally interrupted the performance with spontaneous applause. I strongly urge you to look for the next performance of Opera Popolare and get ready to be blown away by some extraordinary talent.

# # #

Jovon does jazz
by Christopher Key

With my usual impeccable sense of timing, I started to dig jazz back in the early 1960s, just before British Invasion rock ‘n roll took over the world. I admit I got a bit distracted for a while, especially since I was a Top 40 radio disk jockey for a few years. But I was always more comfortable listening to live music in intimate jazz clubs than I was in the massive mobs at rock concerts. So while my peers were freaking out in the stadiums, I was groovin’ in the smoky jazz clubs of San Francisco. The fact that the jazz clubs were smoky gives away my age. It wasn’t always tobacco smoke, either.

During those years, it was a tough gig being a jazz musician. There were a lot of young players who either gave it up or sold out to rock ‘n roll. Fortunately, the music that America invented has made a stunning comeback and jazz may be stronger today than it ever was. Witness a group called the Jovon Miller Rhythmic Jazz Ensemble.

I caught their act at the Chuckanut Ridge Winery on State Street Saturday night and they took me back to those smoky jazz clubs in a way few groups have done recently. The word that describes the best jazz groups is “tight.” I expect that from players who have been together for a long time, but these kids have only been together two months. And they’re tight. Unbelievably tight.

The influences range from Bird to Ornette Coleman to Hugh Masekela with a lot of others thrown in. But the sound is very much their own and simply astonishing for a group this young. They are all students or grads of Western Washington University and their talent speaks volumes about the quality of that institution’s jazz programs.

So let’s break it down. The operative word in their name is “rhythmic.” That’s based on Jovon Miller’s amazing riffs as a tap dancer. I can’t think of any jazz combos that feature tap dancing and that’s just one of the things that sets them apart. Miller’s sensational duos with drummer Karl Olson made my hair stand on end. Oh, yeah. He also plays tenor sax, flute and clarinet while tap dancing. Unreal!

As a semi-retired drummer, I have a particular fondness for that instrument and have seen some of the best, from Krupa to Rich to Jones. Olson has the potential to be right up there with them and has an indescribable style that made me sit up and take notice. But he is also rock-solid when he is not soloing.

Guitarist Aidrien Wilkens is perhaps the least flashy of the players in his stage presence, but brings a distinctive sound reminiscent of 1970s funk. He contributes more to the rhythmic theme than is immediately obvious unless you listen closely.

I freely admit that I prefer acoustic bass to electric when it comes to jazz and I suspect bassist Kyle Grimm may lean that way, too. He plays both acoustic and electric, but he seems to come alive much more when he is playing the upright. Either way, he’s got it down.

If you suspect I’m succumbing to hyperbole, just check out this group for yourself. They are playing regular gigs at the Wood’s Coffee House in Boulevard Park on Thursdays and hope to become regulars at the Chuckanut Ridge Winery on Fridays. If the winery is wise, they’ll book them now.

There’s a CD in the works, so stay tuned and I’ll clue you in when it’s released.

Smokin’!

# # #

BFOM bags big bravos
by Christopher Key

There’s no doubt that Maestro Michael Palmer and the Bellingham Festival of Music know how to leave an audience gasping and begging for more. Tonight’s season finale rattled the rafters at Western Washington University’s Performing Arts Center and left the sold-out house as wrung out as the performers must have been.

The orchestra got the audience warmed up quickly with Overture to Don Giovanni, K. 527, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Don Juan, of course, was a legendary libertine whose amorous exploits were such that his name has become synonymous for womanizing males. If we are to believe the Mozart as portrayed in the movie Amadeus, the composer had some ambitions along those lines himself. Whether or not you believe that portrait, this overture leads one to believe that Mozart found Don Juan’s tale more to be celebrated than censured. The BFOM orchestra’s performance was as seductive as the legendary Lothario himself.

One of the reasons tonight’s performance was sold out was because The Romeros were on the bill. They have earned the sobriquet “The Royal Family of the Guitar” partly because no other classical guitar quartet has ever come within shouting distance of their virtuosity. They have also been constant companions of the BFOM over the years and have become Bellingham’s favorite summer residents.

Photo courtesy Bellingham Festival of Music.

I have a particular fondness for the classical guitar because I have some pathetic pretensions toward playing that instrument and I can truly appreciate those who have mastered it. One of the highlights of my life was seeing and hearing the iconic Andres Segovia in concert back in the 1970s. He was near the end of his life and had to be helped onstage. But when he started playing, he was a virile and vital young man to whom age was nothing but a bothersome gnat.

Federico Moreno Torroba was a contemporary of Segovia’s and his Concierto ibérico para cuatro guitarras y orquesta was dedicated to The Romeros. They premiered the work in Vancouver, BC, in 1977 and have made it their own. Their performance of the work this evening was only marred by being occasionally overbalanced by the orchestra. The classical guitar is an instrument of great subtlety and is not loud even at its most rambunctious. The Romeros should have been miked so that we could have heard every delicious note.

Regardless, the audience called them back for two encores. One was a masterful Malagueña and the other not announced. Both were frighteningly fretful pieces of fabulous fingerwork. The Romeros can do more with one hand than most musicians can do with four.

There is only one possible way to follow a performance like that: Beethoven. Maestro Palmer chose to finish the season with Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92, and it was nothing short of phenomenal. The woodwinds were wondrous, the brasses were beautiful, the strings were sensational and the percussion was perfect. One of the ways you know when you have witnessed a magnificent performance is when a relatively small aggregation of virtuosos suddenly sounds like there are a couple hundred musicians onstage. They rocked the PAC right down to its foundations and I’ve given up counting how many standing ovations they received this year. Every one earned.

The BFOM is a treasure that much bigger cities would love to have among their attractions. Every one of their concerts deserves to be sold out and their all-volunteer staff is to be congratulated for reviving this once-threatened festival. If you’ve been reading these reviews and think they’re overstated, think again. This is a world-class festival and you’d better think about getting your tickets for next year right now.

www.bellinghamfestival.org.

# # #

An understated rock star
by Christopher Key

That subhead may be something of an oxymoron, but it seems to apply very well to cellist Joshua Roman who headlined last night’s Bellingham Festival of Music concert. The media, of which I am a somewhat reluctant member, has been known on rare occasions to engage in hyperbole and in this case they’re both right and wrong. I wasn’t the only one in the audience expecting to see a spectacle on the order of Nadja Solerno-Sonnenberg. The spectacular musicianship was there, but Roman doesn’t seem to feel any need to imitate Mick Jagger. It’s not as easy to do with a cello as it is with a violin.

Before Roman’s extraordinary performance, the BFOM orchestra proved once again that it is an astonishing aggregation of amazing musicians. Leading off the program was Sergei Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1 in D Major (“Classical”). Prokofiev was another of those musical prodigies who make most of us mortals feel somewhat inadequate. He began composing at age five and was both popular and prolific. Maestro Michael Palmer’s interpretation of this work was dynamic and exciting. The woodwinds were exceptional.

Franz Josef Haydn is considered the father of the symphonic form, having birthed 104 of them. That statistic never ceases to boggle my mind. The BFOM orchestra boggled it even further with their performance of Symphony No. 101 in D Major (“The Clock”). I have perhaps mentioned the strings before, but they went above and beyond the call of duty in this one. There are frantically intense string passages that they rendered with complete crispness and not a trace of the muddiness that often accompanies such challenges. Flutist Christina Smith was on the receiving end of some well-deserved bravos.

After the intermission, Mr. Roman took the stage with a masterful performance of Antonin Dvorák’s Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104. The cello is thought of as being toward the lower end of the stringed instruments, but the solos in this work are, for the most part, at the upper end of the cello’s range. Indeed, it often sounds more like a viola in the talented hands of Roman. It was fascinating to watch his fingers fly across the neck as he coaxed nuances from his instrument that were nothing short of thrilling.

Photo courtesy of CityMusic Cleveland.

There is no doubt that he is intensely connected with the music as he swayed back and forth to the rhythm. But his unquestionable stage presence did not take precedence over his prodigious talent. Since he often plays jazz and rock music, we may assume that he saves his most extravagant physical moves for those venues. The media image of the classical rock star seems to have taken a firm hold, since many of the comments I overheard indicated that he had set the ladies hearts all a-twitter. I was somewhat surprised that there weren’t swooning female bodies blocking the aisles.

Tonight’s concert was sold out and I am told that the next one, featuring The Romeros, is also a done deal. Let that be a lesson to you. The Bellingham Festival of Music is a world-class event and if you want to see and hear these concerts, you’d best think about next season’s tickets right now. www.bellinghamfestival.org.

# # #