Music Academy of the West Makes Our Summer

I attended my first Music Academy of the West chamber performance on Tuesday, July 1. The MAW provides our summer musical fare in Santa Barbara, and the chamber performances are particularly intimate since the performers are faculty members and many students are in the audience (http://www.musicacademy.org/festival).

Tuesday's performance included William Bolcom "Graceful Ghost Rag" (Kathleen Winkler violin, Jonathan Feldman piano), Messiaen "Le Loriot" (Jerome Lowenthal) and "Theme et Variations" (Jeff Thayer violin, Margaret McDonald piano) Ravel "Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano in A Minor" (Winkler, Alan Stepansky cello, Feldman), Elliott Carter "Woodwind Quintet" (Timothy Day flute, David Weiss oboe, Richie Hawley clarinet, Dennis Michel bassoon, David Jolley horn), Bach "Trio Sonata for Flute, Violin and Continuo in G Major" (Day, Thayer, Nico Abondolo double bass, Natasha Kislenko harpsichord). Another Carter piece was scheduled, but the pianist, Jerome Lowenthal, substituted Ravel's "Toccata" much to the relief of a few in the audience.

Most memorable were Bolcom, Messiaen's "Theme et Variations," and the Bach. I am not a ragtime fan, but Bolcom gave the genre polish. This produced a light, lyrical, almost bittersweet piece. Winkler's tone was right on for this piece. The Messiaen piece sounded like strange musical lines looping back and across one another. This created a slightly exotic and pleasing atmosphere. I adore Bach, and it was a real treat to hear a chamber work that included a harpsichord.

The audience was warm and familiar with the players since they are, for the most part, regulars at MAW. During the interval, I bumped into a fellow audience member who explained that he wasn't being "forward" when he ran his hand over my thigh. He just wanted to find out if my loud trousers also had an interesting texture. To his credit, somehow he didn't come off as a creep. This may take the cake in terms of firsts for me at a classical music concert.