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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (June 16, 2016)
4 // COASTWEEKEND.COM Astoria welcomes back its musical heroes 14th Astoria Music Festival showcases cellist, soprano and a $1.7 million violin — plus a tribute to David Bowie By PATRICK WEBB FOR COAST WEEKEND H Heroes is one theme for this year’s Astoria Music Festival. Change could be another. The three-week program begins Saturday, June 18 and features 13 concerts and operas. The 14th year sees a new board of directors that regrouped after last summer’s leadership confl ict. Artistic Director Keith Clark doesn’t dwell on the changes, ac- knowledging that there were differences that he and those remaining want to put behind them. Leena Riker, Dwight Caswell, Craig Holt, Michael Foster and Doug Westervelt have provided organizational continuity. Others who have joined the board include Dr. Bill Armington, Jeanne Peterson, John Orr and Sarah Nebeker. “The festival will be great again, the program is more varied than during some earlier years, and should be of interest to younger audiences as well,” said Riker, former board president. The Liberty Theater, the Clatsop Community College Performing Arts Center and Grace Episcopal Church are among the venues. Events begin with a 4 p.m. matinee Saturday featur- ing cellist Sergey Antonov, violinist Elizabeth Pitcairn and pianist Cary Lewis with a selection of works by Men- delssohn, Grieg and Dvorak. Antonov will be back in the spotlight at 7:30 p.m. as solo- SUBMITTED PHOTO Elizabeth Pitcairn will perform 4 p.m. Sunday, June 19 on the 1720, $1.7 million Mendelssohn Stradivarius violin. PHOTO BY DWIGHT CASWELL Artistic Director Keith Clark will conduct Saturday’s gala evening concert, which features Philip Glass’ 1996 Symphony No. 4 “Heroes,” as well as Sunday’s rendition of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 “Eroica.” ist on Elgar’s Cello Concerto. The son of two Moscow cellists learned the instrument from age 5. Clark recalls American cello teacher Terry King telling him in 2010, “If you want to get on the ground fl oor of the next generation of cellists, there is a really remarkable Russian student who is putting the polishing touches on his preparation. I can guarantee you will love this guy.” “Based on that recommendation, I brought Sergey in sight unseen, and everything that Terry forecast came true,” Clark said. The concert will feature the Music Festival Orchestra performing Philip Glass’ 1996 Symphony No. 4 “Heroes,” based on the late David Bowie’s 1977 album of the same name. Clark has never con- ducted Glass’ music, but describes him as “the ‘EVERY DAY I OPEN THE SCORE I DISCOVER SOMETHING NEW. IT’S ONE OF THOSE MIRACLES OF HUMAN THOUGHT, BEAUTIFUL, TECHNICAL — SO EXCITING.’ Beethoven of our time,” an American composer especially well regarded in Europe. Despite his work often being called “mini- malist music” — a label that Glass detests — this piece calls for the largest number of instrumentalists Clark has assembled at the Liberty. (He thinks it will be about 50.) “It will be an amazing sound.” “The song ‘Heroes’ is considered one of the great- est pieces of rock ’n’ roll music of the 20th century,” said Clark. “David Bowie was a multifaceted, talented artist — more than just a rock ’n’ roll guy. He did so many things with so many musical styles.” Another “star” of the opening weekend is a $1.7 million violin played by for- mer child prodigy Elizabeth Pitcairn. The 1720 Men- delssohn Stradivarius was bought by her grandfather at Christie’s auction in London in 1990 and inspired the movie “The Red Violin.” Clark met Pitcairn as a student in Los Angeles years ago. “She was very spectac- ular as a young teenager and she’s grown into an interna- tional special virtuoso. “She could make beau- tiful music on a cigar box,” said Clark, crackling with laughter. “The fact that she has a most beautiful violin makes it even better.” The heroes theme contin- ues with Sunday’s rendition of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3. The “Eroica” (“heroic”) was dedicated to Napoleon, although Beethoven report- edly changed his mind when the Frenchman proclaimed himself emperor. Clark fi rst conducted it in his early 20s. “I have been living with this my entire life. Every day I open the score I discover something new. It’s one of those miracles of human thought, beautiful, technical — so exciting. “The mechanics are phenomenal. Deep and profound heights of joy, such a depth of sorrow in the second movement, which is a funeral march, and then the third is a scherzo — a dance, the happiest music you will ever hear.” Clark said the viscer- al piece was pivotal. “It changed the course of music history,” becoming louder, displaying unbridled energy — no longer just polished notes to please the aristoc- racy of Europe — and set the stage for Brahms and
