A charming classical deja vu afternoon
Seven years ago (pre-COVID), we attended a concert featuring renowned harpist Erica Goodman and flautist Suzanne Shulman. We used the opportunity to have her autograph our copy of her recording with Liona Boyd, which I believe they recorded back in 2008. Goodman has endured numerous critiques by yours truly over about twenty-five years. Today's reunion was both joyous and teary-eyed (mine) for two definitely post-middle-agers. Like fine wine, Miss Goodman ages well, not so much in my case.
Reprising that memorable event of 2019, Goodman joined with Michele Jacot, who is astonishingly proficient not only on clarinet and flute, but also on saxophone. Fifty minutes was way too short for such an occasion, and passed by far too soon.
The locale was the Recital Hall of the Performing Arts Centre, under the auspices of Brock University's arts faculty, and the event's brevity was due to a music class at 1 p.m. So, teaching our next generation of cultural mavens made the sacrifice worthwhile. From mid-November on, it will be the students themselves who will perform. So, readers, guess where I'll be spending every second Tuesday's lunch period!
Jacot and Goodman performed works that, with the exception of J.S. Bach, were by contemporaries (of mine, not most of you). Five brief movements from composer Paul Reade's The Victorian Kitchen Garden, which was written as background for the eponymous BBC television series. The five segments are representative of seasons, but sans the details or duration of the Vivaldi masterpiece. Reade wrote the work for clarinet and harp, and Jacot's clarinet gave a standout rendition. The distinctive harp work in the fourth movement, with its melodic four notes sounding like reciting numbers 2, 4, 6, 8, and her knife-sharp notes in the summer finale were pure artistry. Unfortunately, Reade passed away at age 54.
The next two works were by Gabriel Fauré. He died a mere decade before I was born, thus almost a contemporary. Jacot switched instruments to her flute for an excerpt from Fauré's Pelléas et Mélisande, incidental music written for the tragic play that also inspired Debussy's opera. I've always spelled Golaud's brother with two L's, but like so many things today, changes!
Then J.S. Bach's (NOT my generation) Sonata in E-flat major, still familiar after 2½ centuries. This was followed by an interesting arrangement of Gershwin's Summertime from his Porgy and Bess. This opera is sad, but maybe Porgy might wheel his cart up north to NYC and reclaim Bess.
Another excerpt, I Feel Pretty from Bernstein's West Side Story, which is a modern interpretation of Willy S.'s Romeo and Juliet. Finale: Schreiner's Immer kleiner.
So, dear readers, is this not a super way to do lunch? The hall was not a 'full house', so plenty of seats, no long lineups at food counters, and a definite boost to one's cultural bank account. Hopefully, I'll see you next Tuesday with guitarist Tim Phelan and flautist Doug Miller. Come introduce yourself, I'm usually wearing my 'Press Pass' necklace.
Odd fact: Both of Jacot's instruments are called aerophones.