La Jolla Music Society's 40th annual SummerFest kickd off this past Friday at the Baker-Baum Concert Hall. Led by Inon Barnatan, the sold-out event featured ten pieces spanning nearly a millennium of history.
A millennium of music compressed into ten pieces
The "Making History" theme was designed by Music Director Inon Barnatan to bridge the festival's four-decade milestone with the approaching 250th anniversary of the United States. According to the report, this ambitious concept aimed to demonstrate how historical shifts influence musical evolution and how history is being made daily through live performance.
The program successfully bridged vast eras, beginning with an 1151 antiphon by Hildegard von Bingen and moving through the Renaissance works of Thomas Morley. The set even reached into modern Broadway, featuring a new arrangement of Bernstein and Sondheim's "America" from West Side Story.
The virtuosity of Stefan Jackiw and Alisa Weilerstein
Individual virtuosity from performers like violinist Stefan Jackiw and cellist Alisa Weilerstein anchored the evening's historical survey. Stefan Jackiw led an octet through a spirited Vivaldi Summer Presto, while Alisa Weilerstein provided profound emotional depth during Beethoven's Cavatina and a Wagner arrangement by Sebastian Guertler.
The ensemble supporting these soloists included violinists Karen Gomyo and Blake Pouliot, violists Masumi Rostad and Ayano Nakamura, and cellist Sterling Elliot. As the report notes, the Wagner arrangement built steadily to a tremulous crescendo before settlng into a hush.
The mystery of the unrehearsed Mozart overture
The Mozart Don Giovanni Overture stood out as a particularly daring moment, presented as a sight-read performance by five muscians.. While the performance was described as having precision and dynamic command, it raises questions about the festival's broader approach to spontaneous performance.
It remains unclear if the La Jolla Music Society intends to incorporate more sight-reading or improvisational elements throughout the remaining weeks of the festival. additionally, while the report highlights the success of the unrehearsed Mozart, it is unknown if this risk-taking is a planned part of Inon Barnatan's vision or an isolated occurrence.
Fourteen artists and a Hungarian czardas finale
The evening concluded with a celebratory "Happy Birthday Variations" composed by Peter Heidrich. Fourteen different artists participated in this tribute, performing in styles ranging from Bach to Dvorak.
The finale ended on a high note with a Hungarian czardas led by violinist Blake Pouliot, which prompted enthusiastic applause from the sold-out audience. The SummerFest program continues through August 29, promising more innovative programming that bridges the past and present.
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