N. Enfeld and E. Zivian July 14

GRIEG SONATA HIGHLIGHTS ECLECTIC VOM FESTIVAL PROGRAM

Valley of the Moon’s eclectic Festival ended its first full weekend of events July 14 with sparkling and varied concert that spotlights the Venezuelan pianist/composer Terese Carreño. Somehow Grieg, Brahms, d’Albert, Chopin and Rossini got into the mix.

Before a large Hanna Center audience the “Paderewska of the Pampas” was represented by three of her works and a movement of the B Minor String Quartet from 1896. Hearing these rather arcane pieces are why one attends summer festivals, and the Allegro movement, played by violinists Juliet Greer and Jennifer Frautschi, Liana Bérubé (viola) and cellist Tanya Tomkins, had a darkened hue, with just a whiff of Brahms. It was yearning music with rich bottom end cello sound.

The concert’s center was Grieg C Minor Violin Sonata, played with score by Juliet Greer and pianist Elizabeth Dorman. The wild and defiant Allegro was well played without perhaps the last ounce of thematic projection. Lovely attention was paid to the calm second theme, but drama prevailed. Ms. Greer’s playing in the bucolic Romanza was delicate with subtle ritards, the piano line occasionally covering. Energetic playing returned in the finale, driving to a potent conclusion and boisterous applause.

Festival artist Adonis Gonzalez played two short Carreño piano pieces, the genre Un Bal en Rêve (Op. 26) and Le Printemps, Op. 25. The first had a wandering charm with “happy birthday” allusion and Latin syncopations, and the hard touch playing in the second missed the delight of the coquettish waltz’s frivolity.

A series of Brahms waltzes from Ops. 39 and 65 paired frequent VOM Festival soprano Nikki Einfeld with Mr. Gonzalez and Eric Zivian, piano four hands. Popular and slightly familiar Vienna sounds of the day (1865-1875) were heard in quick contrast, the highlights being the Vivace’s off beat accents with Mr. Zivian’s funny piano antics upstaging Ms. Enfeld’s singing. Number 11 of Op. 65 was characteristically wild, the German language raw.

Mr. Gonzalez’ performance of Chopin’s B Flat Minor Scherzo was his best Festival playing to date with attention to tonal color in quiet sections and artistic phrasing. His passage work in this piece that’s loaded with fast passage work is frustrating, one run being played with clear articulation and the next muddy with constant overpedaling.

Concluding the afternoon were Rossini works, especially the later Péchés de Vieilesse which Ms. Einfeld sang in French with histrionic power, in flawless combination with Mr. Zivian. The soprano spoke from the stage summaries of the texts. L’invito was operatic with catchy frequent phrase stops, and the long piano introduction of the Elégie underscoring the sung semi-single note words “adieux” that worked effectively and harmonically with the piano line.

Ms. Einfeld’s sweeping high notes and consummate control of volume in the lively folk dance Aragonese ended the concert, the long florid cadenza amply showcasing her virtuosity.