Bargemusic (5/25/13)

OK. So I’m late. Sue me. Oh wait, this is a free blog. Never mind. Our performers were
Olga Vinokur (piano) and Gregory Singer (violin)—how weird is that, Singer a violinist. But I digress. The concert actually started with Mark Peskanov playing a very beautiful Bach violin solo.

Consequently, I found Mr. Singer’s violin sound a little bit less fully developed. That said, this free concert included music of Ravel, Debussy, Fritz Kreisler, William Bolcom (more on that later), impromptu bluegrass, Singer (as composer), Bartok, and more Bolcom. We’re talking eclectic here, folks.

As always, Bargemusic Saturday concerts don’t have a printed program. I’ll do some online research but I’m not going to go crazy. The Ravel sounded like a Rhapsody, with Spanish influences. The Debussy was a sweet, wistful waltz with an interesting doubling of piano/violin lines that were sometimes expansive.

The first Kreisler piece was less flashy than some I’ve heard, while the second was a pure Viennese waltz, with the appropriate hes-i-ta-tions between phrases.

There was much more on the program, but I was most taken with contemporary rags written by William Bolcom (b. 1938). Here’s the “Graceful Ghost” rag, which was played in a piano/violin arrangement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQVoY3f-Ctc

In addition, Ms. Vinokur played another solo Bolcom rag (and I cannot for the life of me find the name of it) where she played the keyboard and in addition (similar to the string players in a Rossini overture tapping their music stands with their bows), tapped the piano keyboard cover with her knuckles—making the piano even more of a hybrid string/percussion instrument. This was one of the highlights of the afternoon.

Bargemusic concerts are informal, family oriented, and usually have a Q&A session attached. While I can deal with children learning to experience a live music concert, there were two fellows near me who had no problem conversing with each other during the concert. I physically had to move. That said, some of the kids had some good questions during the Q&A session, and the “talkers” voiced their opinions on violin/bluegrass/fiddle definitions. All valid. I just wish they hadn’t been discussing it during the concert.

This was a great Saturday afternoon concert with incredibly varied music. A+, New York/Brooklyn!

ConcertMeister
p.s. I have since used some ThankYou Points to acquire three Bolcom CDs.