Pacifica Tribune 3

Pacifica Tribune Review of Seth Montfort's December 2, 2005 Pacifica Performance

By Jean Bartlett
Arts Correspondent

When I go out on the ice, I just think about my skating. I forget it is a competition. – Katarina Witt

Life is a cabaret, an ice skating rink, a Mt. Everest, a race of gladiators, a walk for hope.   When we dig into the very best of ourselves the challenge goes inward and the results raise the thrill of the crowd.

Friday night pianist, composer, arranger Seth Montfort, founder and artistic director of The San Francisco Concerto Orchestra and International Competitions for Musicians, opened Pacifica’s Sanchez Concert Hall doors to the sound of music in competition.  Contestants performing contacted Seth Montfort through his organization at www.sfconcerto.org, introduced themselves and their music presentation, paid a $50 entry fee and voilà, that person(s) was signed up to appear in these preliminaries held in various locations around the Bay.  P.s., it is not too late to enter.

If Friday night’s competition was an indication of the caliber of the contestants, then all you music aficionados out there, including you toe-tapping couch potatoes, volley out of that La-Z-Boy and get yourself a ticket.  Some of these contestants have undoubtedly already received your well spent cash on stages such as: The Kennedy Center; The San Francisco Symphony; The Yerba Buena International Music Festival; Pacifica Performances Sanchez Concert Hall; the Festival Piano en Saintonge (France); and your living room stereo.  By the way, each audience member votes on their favorite performer of the evening and that winner receives 10% of the door AND the opportunity to perform as soloists with The San Francisco Concerto Orchestra in winners concerts that will also be open to the public (from January through June).  The final winner of the classical competition will receive $1,000 and the final winner in the popular category will receive $500.

The contestants in order of appearance: guitarist, singer, harmonica man Blind Boy Grunt; violinist Kate Stenberg and pianist Eva-Maria Zimmermann; guest appearance by composer, percussionist, sound poet and radio producer Charles Amirkhanian; guest appearance by composer, musician Ronald Bruce Smith; Celtic, Appalachian musicians and singers Marika and Colin Cotter; soprano Casey Dickey and pianist Steven Bailey.

Artistic director Montfort said: “Though there are no repertoire “requirements” this contest has been designed to feature the contestants in preliminaries that make sense as concerts.  The first competition held last Sunday at Rancho Nicasio, featured contestants performing in a kind of rustic ranch variety show.  Friday night’s performance in Pacifica was meant to reflect the wonderfully eclectic tastes of the Pacifica audience.”  Director Montfort then arranges the musical selections in a flow which ignites and travels an auditory sky.

The evening began with the “Battle of Manassas” performed by Seth Montfort.  This piece is a sculpture of the Civil War.  Its dark cluster chords carry the horrors of war while the right hand cradles a young man’s death on a sunlit battlefield.  Montfort played this piece with a fierce beauty.  It was followed quite appropriately by Blind Boy Grunt singing: “There’s a battle outside, and it is raging.  It’ll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls; for the times they are a-changing.”  From Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changing.” (p.s., secretly sung, guitar-ed and harmonica-ed by Bay Area piano dazzler Steven Bailey).

The next performers, violinist Kate Stenberg and pianist Eva-Maria Zimmermann, were joined by composer Charles Amirkhanian who assisted as active page turner with occasional additional hands on piano.  They performed “Second Sonata for Violin and Piano” by Charles Ives.  This is a maverick rhythmic statement which races in exciting conversational intellect strings, keeping piano and violin both within and outside each other until they join in a hoedown, a Zen prayer and a nonrestful sermon of abandon.

Composer Ronald Bruce Smith introduced the next composition which he wrote for violinist Kate Stenberg 17 years ago.  This guy, Smith, is a musical genius oft celebrated by the: New York Times; San Francisco Chronicle; Ottawa Citizen; Toronto Globe; the United States and Canada.  The piece performed “Trois Regards” is a gripping chronicle of unresolved dreams and shadow requiring massive string bursts of insightful musicianship by both pianist and violinist.  Phew!

Next contestants Marika and Colin Cotter gave us an Appalachian and Celtic ride through their singing, fiddling and guitarism (yes, it’s another made up word) that was poetic, fiery and lilting.  A sister and brother duo, Marika is 18 and Colin is 16.  This is only mentioned to remind that talent can inspire a standing ovation at any age.  They are competing again on December 16.

Accompanied by Steven Bailey on piano, soprano Casey Dickey melted the crowd with her dramatic and richly articulated renditions of: “Ain’t It A Pretty Night” (Floyd); “Adieu Petite Table” (Massenet); and “Ach ich fuhl’s” (Mozart).

The last piece, the finale from “Pictures At An Exhibition” (Mussorgsky), was played by pianist Steven Bailey. It is a musical narrative circling an exhibition of Victor Hartman watercolors.  An inspiring promenade through storm and might, it is a testament of friendship that survives even death.  Passionate, delicate and brilliantly painted piano by Bailey walked hand maneuvers of majestic genius.

Let me just slap myself in self-congratulation that I paid so little to see these “contestants.”  More competitors Friday the 9th and Friday the 16th.  Go to www.sfconcerto.org for contest details.

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