BAR HARBOR—Brass Venture offered up a mouth-watering opening night last
Friday for the month-long Bar Harbor Music Festival, combining virtuosity and good humor with superb ensemble playing as they ran the musical gamut from Bach to blues at the Bar
Harbor Congregational Church.Immaculately turned out in evening dress, the talented Boston-area group had its audience entranced as the group breathed life and vigor into the
sometimes staid medium of brass music, showing off considerable talent while obviously having fun. For two hours the musicians created a magical "musical trilogy" between artists,
audience and composer as described by festival director Francis Fortier.
"The butterflies for opening night will never cease. When you lose that, retire," quipped Mr. Fortier in his
introduction,He told the audience he decided to invite Brass Venture after listening to just three minutes of a CD and described the ensemble as "absolutely charming."
The group
then launched into a dazzling piece by musical mentor Eric Ewazan, composer-in residence at the Julliard School of music, who first encouraged the members to play together. The group
set the tone for the evening with the precision of the ensemble work and the sheer verve of performance. Trombonist Jamison Clark then introduced his colleagues Jeffrey
Hoefler(trumpet), Chip Halt (tuba), and married couple Hilary Ledebuhr(French horn) and Erich Ledebuhr(trumpet).
Apart from the Ewazan piece, the first part of the program consisted
of classical works arranged for the quintet, rather than composed specifically for a brass group.
For a piece by Giovanni Gabrielli, designed to be played from different parts of
St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice across the heads of the audience, the group members stationed themselves around the church to replicate the "surround sound" effect. Two Bach pieces,
arranged by Chip Halt, gave the musicians a chance to show off their virtuosity. Five movements from Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition," also arranged by Mr. Halt, perfectly
captured the mournful Russianism and grandeur of the work and provided an interesting contrast to piano virtuoso Eleonor Bindman's performance of the work for the Arcady Music group
earlier this year.
Brass Venture changed gears after the interval, playing modern music, much of it written for a brass quintet. As Jamison Clark said, "we have left Bach far
behind". They provided two world premier performances—first for "Quintet No. 2" by Thomas Hojnacki, with movements named "Fanfare", "George of Arabia," "Lament for the dead in Iraq,"
"dead cow" and "Howard Dean's march on Washington," then for Paul Bettancourt's "Interstellar Fantasy for Brass Quintet." This piece described a trip through outer space, combining a
1970's brass sound with Souza influences.
The gentlemen in the group then discarded their tailcoats, and played wonderful versions of "Sweet Georgia Brown," "Beale Street Blues,"
and "Livery Stable Blues" — which included a blues French horn solo — possibly a first.
The group took turns soloing on "Amazing Grace" before receiving a loud standing ovation and calls for an encore.
The festival, now in its 38th year, offers 11 concerts and recitals between now and August 1.
Tickets and information are available at the Rodick Building, next to the Post Office,
Testa's restaurant, The Bar Harbor Inn Gift Shop and Bar Harbor Regency Holiday Inn. Phone bookings can be made at 288-5744.
Information about Brass Venture and details of their CD are available at www.brass venture.com
Performances this week include the Tchekmazov-Nuzova Duo, on Friday July 9
at 8:15 at the Bar Harbor Congregational Church on Mt. Desert Street and a tea concert by soprano Malinda Haslett on Sunday, July 11 at 4pm at the Balance Rock Inn, 21 Albert Meadow.
