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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (June 22, 2018)
3A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 2018 REVIEW Astoria Music Festival sparkles with class acts An impressive violinist shines By PATRICK WEBB For The Daily Astorian Astoria Music Festival dis- covered a new star this past weekend. Ten years after delightful and impressive Russian cel- list Sergey Antonov rocked the house, he was joined by another skilled musician who is already an Astoria favorite after two concerts. Violinist Maureen Nelson wowed the opening-night audi- ence June 16 with a skilled ren- dition of Debussy’s Sonata for Violin and Piano, blending in delightful symmetry with vet- eran pianist Cary Lewis. Twenty-four hours later, barely time to oil her bow, she was back on the stage of the Liberty Theatre performing the violin solo in Vaughn Williams’ “Lark Ascending.” Saturday, the hush was pal- pable in the auditorium as her controlled bow-work and fleet fingering coaxed the sweetest, highest notes of pastoral rever- ence out of the British compos- er’s masterwork. As it concluded, the standing ovation surely tested whether the historic theater’s roof was fastened on properly. The only pity was there were only 230 souls to share an experience that was as close to religious as a secular venue will allow. Nelson was presented with a colorful bunch of flowers; she deserved the entire garden. “Lark Ascending” was inspired by the 1881 poem by George Meredith, which places the elegance of the skylark in the context of the English coun- tryside. Williams composed his popular piece in 1914 just as the greatest unnecessary carnage in the modern era began. And, with hindsight, “The War To End All Wars” wasn’t. Under the careful baton of Keith Clark, the Astoria Music Festival Orchestra played their part with significant precision. This was a team effort, after all. Yet during Nelson’s sweet solos, when they rested their own violins or cellos, young and old musicians gaped with open-mouthed awe at what they were hearing, while on the podium Clark personified a respectful stillness. As concertmaster, violin expert Olivia Tsui, the Cali- fornia-based professional, has become the festival’s indispens- able presence over the past eight years. Inches away from Nelson — though staring at her back, because of their positions on the stage — Tsui beamed with appreciation and approval. At one point, during a softer part of the orchestra’s score, Nelson seemed so entranced that her whole person swayed, her right hand briefly raising her bow as if to conduct the other players. A French horn sounded and her intensity in the moment went right back completing the job at hand. Nelson was a child prodigy now with the St. Paul Cham- ber Orchestra. She made her festival debut with the Gram- my-nominated Enso String Quartet in 2015. The audi- ence reaction this past weekend downright demands that orga- nizers had better contact her booking agent right away for 2019 and thereafter. Three weeks of music Likely none of the 125 who streamed out into the Asto- ria streets afterward would have thought it a “soft” open- ing to three weeks that prom- ise some stellar music, includ- ing a concert version of Puccini’s “Tosca” with inter- nationally regarded soprano Angela Brown on Sunday and a couple of versions of “The Mar- riage of Figaro” June 29 and July 1. It is hard to believe that Mozart’s naughty tale began it all in Astoria, remarkably 16 ing and volume by pianist llya Kazantsev, she exemplified how an instrument not usually associated with chamber music can delight. The other “star” on display during her three pieces was the Liberty’s acoustics. ‘I Hate Music’ Patrick Webb/The Daily Astorian Violin soloist Maureen Nelson soaks up her standing ovation after her second appearance at the Astoria Music Festival Saturday night. years ago. Antonov’s contribution was suitably impressive. His power- ful control of Saint-Saens’ cello concerto drew well-deserved applause. The piece, which Rachmaninoff and Shostakov- ich maintained is the best but most difficult in the repertoire, was in good hands. As they played and conducted, his and Clark’s heads nodded in unison, their chemistry evident, two masters at their craft. Antonov will appear more later, nota- bly with painter Darren Orange on Saturday and a Bach series Tuesday. Earlier in the night, Clark’s jaunty baton sped the orchestra through the Eighth Symphony, his favorite but most Beethoven fans’ third or fourth most mem- orable symphony, with a terrific blend of sound, especially in the call-and-response passages between the strings and flutes, plus some crisp timpani work by Florian Conzetti. Oboe player Melissa Peña was another standout. The assistant professor from Eugene has been playing at the festival since 2010, seizing on isolated solo passages to demonstrate mastery of the wind instrument she teaches at the University of Oregon. “I love coming here for the music — and the people,” she said afterward. “It is phe- nomenal music with great col- leagues. This town inspires us to make music.” Sandwiched between these two shows was a “happy hour” matinee concert best described as “eclectic.” The centerpiece was the saxophone work of Chika Inoue. Considerably aided with her timing, pac- The festival gives an oppor- tunity for college students to showcase and perfect their skills, a program begun by Ruth Dodson and continued by Tsui, Mark Ross Clark, Chuck Dil- lard and Kosta Popovic. Madeline Jentsch looked nervous for about a millisec- ond. But the cheeky oper- atic manner in which the elfin dynamo delivered Leonard Bernstein’s cycle of five chil- dren’s songs (amusingly called “I Hate Music”) demonstrated that here is a poised talent who, if properly nurtured, can write her own ticket in any genre of vocal performing. Not surpris- ingly, the talented Cincinnati student will sing Suzanna, the lead in “Figaro,” as the festival wraps up. Another highlight was the world premiere of “Day- break for String Quartet” by Todd Mason, festival com- poser-in-residence for the sec- ond year. Mason said he was so captivated while taking pho- tos around Astoria last year that he went home to Los Angeles and penned the unusual piece, which Tsui’s string quintet, con- sisting of Anna Corcoran (vio- lin), Peter Jandula-Hudson (viola), Rowena Hamill (cello) and Tyler Abbott (bass), per- formed with grace and vigor. “They did a fantastic job,” said the composer, Mason, who shunned the limelight and directed applause back to the performers. “They rehearsed quite hard. It’s a difficult piece because of all that pizzicato.” Astoria inspired his work. “It was a piece inspired by sunrises and sunsets.” The sparse matinee audi- ence — 125 tickets were sold, but Saturday’s sunshine kept the true house to about 70 — was ready to appreciate any skill demonstrated. At one point, Agnieszka Laska, the festi- val’s loyal stage manager, gar- nered applause when she dex- terously picked up three bulky metal music stands in her right hand then three in her left hand to clear space for the next performers. The hard-working Laska acknowledged the impromptu kudos with a cheeky grin. Her more elevated skill — as a cre- ative choreographer — will be on display June 30 when her Laska Dancers perform “Ore- gon Bird Sketches.” Like so many, she wears a number of “hats.” Tsui will be doing dou- ble duty as director and violin- ist Wednesday at a program of chamber music with works by Mason and Clark. And spare a thought for Kazantsev, a Russian con- temporary and colleague of Antonov, whose dynamic piano playing has brought yet another sparkling international element to the Oregon Coast. For the first concert, with featured Antonov, Nelson and Lewis performing Trio No. 1 by Saint-Saens, he sat unobtru- sively at Lewis’s side and acted as his sheet music page turner. Talk about overqualified! Lewis has done this for him in a prior year, so perhaps it evened the score. But when it was time for the audience to applaud the talented trio’s musicianship, Kazantsev stepped unobtrusively sideways so he was hidden by the raised lid of the piano. True, this was not his moment. But in that modest gesture he proved that there were four truly class acts on stage. Patrick Webb is a former managing editor of The Daily Astorian and part of Coast Community Radio’s remote broadcast team for the Astoria Music Festival. A new monument to dairy opens in Tillamook A celebration, with cheese and ice cream By JORDAN WOLFE and MAX KIRKENDALL Tillamook Headlight Herald TILLAMOOK — Let them eat cheese — and ice cream, yogurt, butter and probably sour cream. The new Tillamook Creamery opened to the public on Wednesday. The renovated visitor cen- ter — at about 42,800 square feet — was designed by the Seattle-based architec- ture firm Olson Kundig and offers an abundance of new features. A larger dining area has more indoor seating and a spacious outdoor patio. There is an expanded ice cream counter and new coffee and yogurt bars. A revamped A new visitor center has opened at the Tillamook Creamery. menu has grilled-cheese sand- wiches, wood-fire pizzas and Pacific Northwest wine and beer. The monument to dairy has been under construction for the past year and a half. The farmer-owned coopera- tive typically draws about 1.3 million visitors a year. “This new visitor’s center will serve as a greeting card not just for Tillamook but the entire state of Oregon,” Gov. Kate Brown said at a rib- bon-cutting ceremony Tues- day. “Tillamook Creamery is proudly and uniquely Ore- gon. (It) has grown to be one of the most renowned dairy companies.” Brown, who confessed her two favorite foods are cheese and ice cream, spoke of the dairy industry’s impact on the state. The governor gave accolades to Bruce Cardin’s 1997 sixth-grade class for helping make milk Oregon’s state beverage. Eight-year-old Juliana McCoy traded in a day at camp for a visit to the grand opening with her mom that included a picture with Brown. Her visit was sweetened with one of Tillamook’s famous ice cream WANTED Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber Northwest Hardwoods • Longview, WA Contact: John Anderson • 360-269-2500 Are You Losing “Family Care”? I’M HERE TO HELP! Steve Putman Medicare Products 503-440-1076 putmanagency@gmail.com www.medicarehelpsus.com Licensed in Oregon and Washington Fresh STRAWBERRIES Adopt a Pet AND RASPBERRIES OTHER VARIETIES RIPENING DAILY 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 1 1/2 year old American Short Hair female Beautiful, with inherent reserve and mystery and a certain knowing of the heart. PICKED D AI L Y! Watch for us at the corner of Marlin & 101 in Warrenton at the Putman Pro-Lube Center Call 503-359-5204 for more info. (More on http://Petfinder.com/ ) Sponsored By Fo r m o re in fo rm a tio n , ca ll 503-359-5204 area — own the cooperative and provide the milk for the cheese, ice cream, yogurt and other products. “This is our modern day commitment to growth and giving back,” said Patrick Criteser, the president and CEO of the creamery asso- ciation. “We can all agree the end result far exceed expectations.” Gail Oberst of the Capi- tal Press contributed to this report. CULLABY LAKE June 23rd and 24th, 2018 • 10am - 6pm Lake will be closed to the public. Spectators welcome! Presented by: Columbia Outboard Racing Association Sanctioned by: American Power Boat Association Questions? Contact Mike Johnson at 503-381-8173 Fre e Est Fast ima tes Call me ti Any Jeff Hale Painting • • • • Residential Commercial Cedar Roof Treatments Exterior Repaint Specialist Over 25 years local experience 503-440-2169 Jeff Hale, Contractor C LATSOP A NIMAL A SSISTANCE C LATSOP C OUNTY A NIMAL S HELTER 1315 SE 19 th Street, Warrenton • 861 - PETS www.dogsncats.org Noon to 4pm, Tues-Sat LICENSED BONDED INSURED CCB#179131 Please join us for a celebration of life Walter (Pokey) Olson Panthera Available Now Monday - Saturday cones, and in the visitor cen- ter’s Farm Room, she tried to beat the average 21 seconds it takes a professional to prep a cow for milking. “It was worth it,” McCoy declared. With $778 million in gross revenues last year, the Tillamook County Cream- ery Association is the largest co-op in Oregon, employing nearly 900 people. Its approx- imately 90 farm families — mostly from the Tillamook Saturday, June 30 at 2:00 p.m. Warrenton Community Center 170 SW 3rd Street, Warrenton Great memories and laughter welcome Alcohol and animals are not allowed in building
