The Britt Festivals presented the third concert of the 2015 Classical Season on Friday evening, August 7, and it was the first of three weekend concerts that diverged from the typical classical season fare of previous seasons. Music Director Teddy Abrams, in his sophomore season, had already begun to make his mark, and shape a notably different and remarkable classical season with the first weekend’s concerts. Those first two concerts had featured the largest orchestra in Britt’s history, the largest collaboration (with a massive three choirs as well as a trio of soloists joining the orchestra on stage) and two of the most magnificent, but challenging pieces in the classical repertoire: Carmina Burana and The Rite of Spring – both brilliantly performed. The pattern of incorporating new offerings and applying a fresh perspective to the previous, fixed, almost artherosclerotic programming of Britt Classical Festivals past, continued in the third concert.
Not only did Mr. Abrams hone the focus to 20th century American contemporary composers, mostly overlooked in seasons past, but he provided the audience with two world premieres (one of which was his own new composition, and the other by a collaboration including him). And he brought in two marvelous young featured musician-composers (a fiddler! and a vocalist-guitarist), to collaborate with the orchestra in performing their works and assist with some of the newer compositions. Most of all, Mr. Abrams displayed an energy and enthusiasm for the music and the program, which were strikingly several notches above anything seen at Britt, or anywhere else in these parts, in seasons past. It was contagious too – the orchestra clearly picked up on that energy and enthusiasm, and fed off it, elevating the energy of their performance. Ultimately, the audience caught it too, and heartily embraced the new music, the unusual new collaboration, and the more energetic delivery of even established pieces (though one can hardly call the finale number, Aaron Copland’s Billy the Kid Suite an “old” work.)
The program featured two pieces by American composer, Charles Ives: the 3 minute Ragtime Dance No. 3, which opened the concert, and the 31 minute Putnam’s Camp, Redding Connecticut (from Three Places in New England), which began the second half of the concert after intermission. Ives’ works are not in the mold of the typical European traditional classical genre. Ragtime is a mix of Americana: hymn tunes, ragtime rhythms, at times cacophonous, other times very quiet. It’s an eye opener, a piece to definitely wake the lethargic, post-dinner crowd and it was an inspired choice to open the program, especially when it’s as well played as performed for the occasion by the Britt Orchestra following Mr. Abrams direction.
For the remainder of the first half of the program, Mr. Abrams brought out vocalist-guitarist Aoife (pronounced “ee-fah”) O’Donovan and violinist (self-described “fiddler”) Jeremy Kittel. Mr. Abrams has collaborated with the pair before and is very familiar and comfortable working with them. In the program notes, he comments: “Their combined musicianship, sensitivity, creative openness, and collaborative spirit are extraordinary. Both artists have a sound and voice that are instantaneously recognizable; you’ll love the smooth gorgeously shaped turn-of-phrases from Aoife and distinctive, expressive slides from Jeremy. These are the kind of musicians that make composing, arranging, and performing together a thrill and a joy.” There’s the difference between this season and those past right THERE. With Mr. Abrams, the classical season is not just about the orchestra sitting down and playing 200 year-old classical chestnuts. It’s about presenting music that is a “thrill and a joy” – it’s not just about re-playing old compositions, but “composing, arranging, and performing” – whatever it takes to produce that “thrill and joy”.
First, the guests performed a composition by Ms. O’Donovan, Red & White & Blue & Gold, which can be heard on her album, Fossils. Ms. O’Donovan took the front of the stage singing at a microphone and accompanying herself on a guitar, joined on her left by Mr. Kittel playing a fiddle (i.e., a violin by any other name) and on her right by Britt Orchestra Assistant Principal String Bassist Nathan Farrington. (see photo above) The piece was well orchestrated, with Mr. Abrams directing the Britt Orchestra. Mr. Abrams says in the program notes that “Aoife is as talented a vocalist as she is as a lyricist; the warmth and expressiveness of her voice makes the imagery of her poetry remarkably real, The poem’s first-person requests, invitations, and desires speak directly and beautifully; it’s the transporting ability of her voice and compositions that makes this music very special.” Ms. O’Donovan certainly does have a very beautiful voice, which was indeed warm, and the performance of the piece was quite melodious and musical. But the imagery of her lyrics was largely lost, as she could barely be heard over the ensemble and orchestral accompaniment. That left much of the audience frustrated by their inability to make out her words – a problem I attributed to inadequate vocal amplification and sound mixing; perhaps not enough rehearsal time and attention to properly tweak the mix.
Next, Mr. Kittel, alone with orchestral accompaniment, played his virtuosic fiddle work, Big Fiddle, newly arranged for the Britt Orchestra. The piece showcases his “high, lyrical passages that float and hover almost miraculously.” Big Fiddle is a truly apt description for the gorgeous sounding piece, which proved to be a winner with the audience. Upon its conclusion, the audience was on their feet, with animated sustained standing applause, cat-calls, etc. – the first of several enthusiastic audience acknowledgments during this concert.
Following that, Ms. O’Donovan again joined the ensemble up front to perform an original work written for her by Mr. Abrams, Questions, which he describes as “a simple folk tune paired with neo-Romantic orchestration . . . . The lyrics are my own, written in a style that ideally draws from the folk/romantic hybrid musical genre.” The orchestration was well done, quite lovely, but unfortunately, the amplification problem remained unresolved, so while the audience could hear that the piece was musically beautiful, they were again unable to make out most of the lyrics.
The guests then proceeded to perform what proved to be their featured work on the program, the world premiere of the original, Britt Festival commissioned, collaborative work by Mr. Abrams, Mr. Kittel and Ms. O’Donovan: Bull Frog’s Croon. In the program notes, Mr. Abrams elaborates: “In Bull Frog’s Croon, we have created a work in the tradition of vocal composers like Richard Strauss, Mahler or Shubert, but composed in a truly collaborative form. The poetry comes from three works of Oregon’s wonderful Poet Laureate, Peter Sears. Aiofe created the initial version of the melodies and harmonies using the selected poems, and following a few multi-state Skype conferences, Jeremy began the orchestrational layout and string parts. I then added the wind, brass and percussion scoring.” In describing the work, he adds: “There is a special nostalgia about the poetry that we all found powerful and inspiring. . . . The references to nature in this poetry come alive with a beautiful combination of childlike imagery and beautiful profound insights . . . .” The performance of the work was indeed strikingly beautiful musically, and since the texts of the three poems were printed in the program, the audience was not left to wonder about the lyrics. The piece was very well received by the audience, who erupted for the second time in this concert with an enthusiastic, sustained standing ovation. The Poet Laureate, Mr. Sears, was present in the house, and he too received a hearty round of applause.
After a lengthy acknowledgment of appreciation by the audience for Bull Frog’s Croon, the guests topped off their performance with an encore number, Ms. O’Donovan’s composition, Oh Mama, Sing Me A Love Song, which she described as “a song about drinking bourbon.” (Hmm- no problem understanding her when she wasn’t being drowned out by the orchestration!). This extra number was also well received by the audience, and after the applause settled down, the performers exited the stage for the intermission.
When the orchestra returned to the stage, after the intermission, it was just Mr. Abrams and the orchestra. But that phrase hardly does justice to what they provided for the audience in the second half of the program. Mr. Abrams proved to be no mere accessory or afterthought, but the focal point, the source of abounding energy and enthusiasm that spread across the stage in waves. The second half of the program began with the second Ives piece, again layering fragments of recognizable tunes with unconventional melodies, drifting from violent bursts of sound to quiet passages, all well performed under the direction of Mr. Abrams.
And then things really began to get interesting. For the second piece after intermission, the orchestra played 20th century composer George Antheil’s (self-described in his autobiography title: “Bad Boy of Music”) A Jazz Symphony. A Jazz Symphony is (quoting the program notes) “a crazy-quilt pastiche of Tin Pan Alley, Afro-Cuban jazz, lots of evocative solos . . . and plenty of dissonant chord clusters. Rhythmically, A Jazz Symphony is equally complex: rapid fire changes in time signatures, abrupt meter shifts and an ever-present snare drum drive everything relentlessly forward.” Making things really interesting, Mr. Abrams took on the dual roles as piano soloist AND conductor for the piece, and not quietly, calmly sitting at the piano throughout, but energetically: first seated, then jumping to his feet to direct, then one hand playing the piano and one hand directing, then seated again, etc. It was a command performance and much loved by the audience.
What is missing from that clip is what immediately followed. For the third time during this concert, the audience erupted with sustained standing applause after the conclusion of A Jazz Symphony. And the orchestra was hardly done yet. Perhaps the highlight of this concert remained for last, Aaron Copland’s Billy the Kid Suite, from the superb ballet about the infamous outlaw, in which Copland paints musical portraits about the Old West, using quotations from cowboy songs. The orchestra was at the top of their game performing this work, with notable brasses, strings, percussion and wind contributions, all seemingly catching the energy and enthusiasm being conveyed by Maestro Abrams. And once again, for the fourth time, the audience was on their feet, going wild with an excited and persistent ovation. There was a pervading sense of elation throughout the audience once this concert drew to a close.
Maestro Teddy Abrams leads the Britt Orchestra in a performance of Aaron Copland’s Billy the Kid Suite at the Britt Pavilion in Jacksonville, OR on Aug. 7, 2015.
It’s worth noting that at one point during the concert, Mr. Abrams asked for a show of hands to see how many people were repeat visitors to the Britt Classical Festival and how many were attending a Britt Classical concert for the first time. Glancing at the hands, I would guestimate that about a third of the audience were first time attendees. Based on the enthusiastic reaction and standing applause which followed the pieces on the program and the general sense of euphoria among the audience departing the Britt Festival grounds at the concert’s conclusion, I would expect many of them will be back in the future. Therein lies the great challenge for Mr. Abrams, the Britt Classical Festival, and symphony orchestras everywhere in the 21st century. Classical orchestras must find a way to attract younger audiences, as the older classical music audience thins out and passes away. But there is a fine line that must be danced, in programming classical concerts to entice a younger crowd. It must be done with care that the older, affluent, entrenched classical audience which has furnished the indispensable financial support that has sustained classical music organizations to this point in time is not disaffected and driven away. So far, Mr. Abrams seems to be doing a masterful job at walking that line and proving what an excellent choice the Britt Festivals made when they selected him to lead their classical program.
There are two remaining concerts in the 2015 Britt Classical Season, next weekend, on Friday, August 14 and Saturday, August 15. They promise to be just as extraordinary and enjoyable as this one was. This is a world class orchestra, with some of the best musicians from notable orchestras around the U.S. and the world, led by a quite remarkably talented conductor/music director well on his way to making a distinguished mark in the classical musical world. If you appreciate classical music and you can get to one of those concerts, you’d be nuts to miss them. Next up, Friday’s concert features guest soloist, violinist James Ehnes performing Barber’s Violin Concerto, and the orchestra performing contemporary composer Mason Bates’ 2010 composition, Mothership, and Brahms 1877 masterpiece, Symphony No. 2. You can get tickets to the remaining 2015 Britt Classical concerts online at brittfest.org or by calling the box office at 541-773-6077 or 1-800-882-7488.
Featured image caption: Britt Assistant Principal String Bassist Nathan Farrington and guests vocalist-guitarist Aoife O’Donovan and fiddler Jeremy Kittel at the front of the stage during the performance of O’Donovan’s Red & White & Blue & Gold with the Britt Orchestra directed by Teddy Abrams at the Britt Pavilion in Jacksonville, OR on Aug. 7, 2015.
Lee Greene was born & raised in a NJ family where the only religion worshipped was classical music, Leonard Bernstein was God, and the radio was constantly on and tuned to classical station WQXR (which is now always on in his Jacksonville home thanks to the miracle of the Internet). Growing up in the New York City metropolitan area and later while residing and practicing law in NYC, Lee attended oodles of Broadway and off-Broadway theater productions, as well as concerts and opera at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and other NYC venues. Lee is now a retired attorney, runs a computer support business, and has served on the boards of Rogue Opera & Siskiyou Violins. Lee also writes Performing Arts reviews published on the website,