Killington festival opens with American music
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By JIM LOWE Staff Writer - Published: July 5, 2009
KILLINGTON — The Killington Music Festival, one a a number of particularly fine summer chamber music schools in Vermont, opened its 27th season, Friday at Killington Resort, with an impressive faculty performance of American music.
While a string quartet by Benjamin Franklin proved fascinating, it was the music of Samuel Barber (1910-1981) that proved most musically powerful. His youthful Sonata for Cello and Piano, Opus 6, was given a virtuosic performance that highlighted its romantic qualities by Thomas Landschoot and Max Levinson.
Landschoot played with a light but sensual and wide sound. Although clean and accurate, he was expressive and rhapsodic making the music sing.
Levinson, though he neglected some of the work's rhapsodic quality, sensitively delivered the work's power and beauty.
Levinson closed the program with a bravura performance of Gershwin's (1908-1937) "Rhapsody in Blue." (Written originally for 13 instruments with piano solo, it was performed in an unidentified arrangement for solo piano.)
Levinson gave the work an almost improvisatory quality and, though not a refined performance, he built it up dramatically, finally delivering the work's grandeur.
Franklin (1706-1790) was certainly a man of many talents. One apparently was music, though his String Quartet is more novelty than great music. Written to be played on open strings only, with different tunings for each instrument, it proved lively, entertaining and humorous.
The enthusiastic performance by faculty violinist Yehonatan Berick and cellist Scott Luksdahl, joined by "Artist Apprentice" violinist Nathan Lesser and violist Patrick Shaughnessy. The same four delivered a deeply expressive performance of the Adagio from Barber's String Quartet, known popularly in many arrangements as the "Adagio for Strings." Berick's performance as first violinist was particularly expressive and affecting.
Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904) may have been Czech, but he is credited by many as the originator of an American style of composition, using Native American and traditional themes. These can be heard in his Sonatina in G Major, Opus 100, actually written on this side of the Atlantic. Violinist Lynn Chang, after initial intonation issues, played sensitively and expressively, while pianist Tae Kim's performance was warm and naturally musical.
Friday's program opened with lively performance of two Rags, arranged by Itzhak Perlman. by violinist Berick and pianist Kim.
The Killington Music Festival offers a splendid opportunity for people in the Killington-Rutland area to hear splendid chamber music.
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Killington Music Festival
The Killington Music Festival presents faculty chamber music concerts, Saturdays at 7 p.m., July 11-Aug. 8 at Killington Resort's Ramshead Lodge in Killington. Young Artist concerts are also presented throughout the area during the summer season. For tickets, call (802) 422-1330. For schedule and information, call (802) 773-4003, or go online to www.killingtonmusicfestival.com.
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