Rite of Summer Music Festival (7/23/16)

OK, this is slightly offbeat. As an obvious “take” on Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, this is a concert series that stretches boundaries. In fact, I did not attend the previous concert because I chose a more mainstream piano recital, as opposed to experimental cello music (I’m not making this up, you know). That said, I really enjoyed hearing Kara Sainz, mezzo soprano, and Peter Dugan, piano, on Governors Island this past Saturday.

In an “aw, shucks” world, the two were recently married (to each other) in May of this year. It was an eclectic program.

Summertime – George Gershwin
Seven Popular Songs (selections) – Manuel de Falla
Danza del Gaucho Matrero – Albert Ginastero
Noël des Enfants – Claude Debussy
“I have dreamt” from Wuthering Heights – Bernard Herrmann
It’s Not Me, It’s You – Leonardo Dugan
If Music Be the Food of Love – Henry Purcell

Widmung – Robert Schumann
Liebst du um Schönheit – Clara Schumann
Die Mainacht (announced from the stage) – Johannes Brahms

I’m Glad There Is You – T. Dorsey/Madeira
My Romance – Richard Rodgers
Embraceable You – G. Gershwin
How It Felt to Love You – Sainz/Dugan

Did I mention eclectic? I think that the duo did themselves a big plus by starting with less-than-classical fare. Summertime opened with a jazzy piano intro that morphed into a song stylist’s rendition of the song. The de Falla bridged us into a classical mode, though not knowing how many of the seven songs would be performed, the audience was left in flux. Do we applaud each song? The end of the set? When did the set end? Bad programming.

The Ginastera was a nice 1930s piano solo. The Herrmann was from an opera version of Wuthering Heights. Who knew? It was pleasant enough. The Dugan (brother of pianist) was also from an opera—very contemporary. One lyric got a chuckle from me and the folks on their picnic blanket near me (oh, did I not mention this was an al fresco concert series on Governors Island?). “You’re much more like a nightmare / than the man of my dreams.”

Returning to the classical vein, the Purcell was very interesting, though performing out of doors with necessarily needed amplified sound made some of the delicate filigree efforts a bit hard to appreciate. The three-group segment that followed did not quite work as a segment. Still, the overarching theme of love was evident and Ms. Sainz acquitted herself quite well, ably assisted by her husband.

A torch-ish version of I’m Glad There Is You followed, with a piano solo version of My Romance right behind (see the theme here?). Embraceable You was enjoyable.

Not so much the country-tinged downer of a song from the pens of our two star performers. It wasn’t a bad song but it was a bad way to end a concert celebrating love. Really? Written and performed by newlyweds?

ConcertMeister