Pacifica Tribune 9

Pacifica Tribune Review of The San Francisco Concerto Orchestra's Competition for Musicians of All Ages January 29, 2006 at Sanchez Concert Hall, Pacifica (will be published February 8, 2006)

For the love of music, Seth Montfort and the San Francisco Concerto Orchestra Competitions

By Jean Bartlett
Arts Correspondent

Like some maestro pied piper, composer-pianist Seth Montfort leads extraordinary musicians beneath the spotlight of his waiting concert hall where they share with the world their love of music.  Sunday afternoon and evening, Pacifica ’s Sanchez Concert Hall was home to Montfort and friends.  These “world-class” talents came to compete for the opportunity to solo with Seth Montfort’s San Francisco Concerto Orchestra and the possibility of being the check holder for either the $1,000 grand prize for classical or $500 grand prize for popular.  Members of tonight’s audience, when they had the wherewithal to return from their private revelations of musical wonder – had to vote.  Not an easy task.  

Musicians are presented in order of appearance.  Note, some pieces performed may not be mentioned due to keeping this article below tome level.  

A violin virtuoso, Heather Haughn began the program with “Nigun” Improvisation No. 2 from Baal Shem (Three Pictures of Chassidic Life) by Ernest Bloch.  She was accompanied by Marc Steiner on harp-string piano.  Ms. Haughn’s violin began passionately on a rooftop of prayer.  Her fingers next danced in fire lit bowing till they found their rhythm on soft cantorial strings of hope.  Pianist Barbara Wilkes next introduced herself and her music selections: Etude de Concert No 3 "Un Sospiro" (Franz Liszt); Ballade No. 3 and Ballade No. 1 (Chopin).  Ms. Wilkes played “Un Sospiro” with everything that Liszt held in his heart.  Her piano expression was elegant, blazing, legendary.  She followed this with an extraordinary uninhibited piano clarity that lead us directly into a Chopin garden of verse.

Pianist Allison Lovejoy obviously built a time machine and met Rachmaninoff.  How else to explain the ease in which she travels along crystalline notes in rapid finger fire of starlight and thunder to bring us Rachmaninoff’s brilliant transcription from Bach’s “Violin Partita in E Major.”  She also played “L’isle Joyeuse” (Claude Debussy) in a full sweep of childhood joy and piano genius.

Through sensitive keyboarding strength, inspired touch and relaxed composer immersion, pianist Marc Steiner next entered the audience into the Hall of Kings with Chopin’s “Ballade No. 4 in F Minor.”  Though an exquisite composition, it is still a memorization anvil which was spun and woven nobly by pianist Steiner.  “Sonata No. 4, Opus 27” by Belgian composer Eugene Ysaÿe is a technically demanding near finger breaker on violin.  It was played tonight by violinist Eric Leong.  It begins with an immediate caravan string sensuality and then it races into interpretive see-saw.  The music was odd, the performer was brilliant.

Clarinetist Jessica Skelton strolled a silky smooth stream of powerful clarinet as she introduced the second set with Brahms First Sonata for Piano and Clarinet.  She was accompanied by pianist Kenneth R. Gartner.  The piece was wondrous and wandering, gliding the listener through a haunting walk of jack-o-lanterns and faerie dust. Composer-pianist Ernesto Lecuona y Casado wrote “Malaguen~a” and pianist Kenneth R. Gartner played it in a vibrant keyboard dance bursting with romance and immense musicianship.  He also played the “12th Hungarian Rhapsody” by Liszt mastering a volley of arpeggios, scales, and tremolos that seemingly lead the listener beyond a mysteriously brooding mountain wall and into the woods of dancing fauns.

Colin and Marika Cotter, brother and sister duo of Appalachian, French Canadian and Irish spins of song, played guitar and fiddle, both played both, and offered us up some barn heel clinkers along with the sweet and the soft toe tapper.  Colin proved he has a graceful tenor.  (I already know young Marika is a songbird.)  Together they played joy in curtsy and bow.  

Cabaret vocal saunter with reckless piano in high quality tune and full vigor was the next music on order by Allison Lovejoy.  She played stories she had written from the pages of the news and she slayed her audience without bump or gyration – just magic, musical magic.  Lyrical and quietly poetic, classical pianist Sandra Simich transported wished memories into musical keys with her intimate and technical mastery of Brahms “Op. 116 Intermezzi.”  

Pianist Marc Steiner ended the program in a whirlwind of spirited Mozart finger work and his playing was pure champagne.  

This particular program can be faulted for its length but not its glory.  Too many great artists had too much to say.  We should have such problems more frequently.  Thanks Seth Montfort for lighting a path for musicians, best in class.

Pacifica Tribune February 8, 2006