The AMSF has performed at Grace House in Silver Spring for several years, and each visit has been special. On Saturday July 12th we entertained 16 residents from 4:00–5:00 p.m. with a varied program which included three pianists, two guitarists, a violinist and a singalong. It was a cloudy afternoon, but all the performers arrived early, so after a brief introduction about the AMSF, the recital began promptly at 4:00 p.m. with pianist Alberto Gamez.
Interestingly, all three pianists played pieces by the great Polish composer Frederic Chopin (1810–1849). Alberto chose the “Farewell” Waltz in Ab major Op. 69 No.1 so named because Chopin composed it as a farewell piece to Maria Wodzinska to whom he was once engaged. Given the calm and relaxing mood of Alberto’s playing, one could surmise that the parting may have been an amicable one.
Alberto was followed by classical guitarists Ellen Lazarus and Lynne Snyder who played a combination of four duets and two solos. These ladies were in ripping form as their lilting music took us to Brazil, Mexico, and Chile with three lovely Latin American duets arranged by Yvon Rivoal (b.1944). They were “Cravo e a Rosa,” (the thorn and the rose) “Mi Linda Mariquita,” (my pretty ladybug) and “El Cachimbo” (the pipe). Their fourth duet was “The Nest and the Rose” by Italian composer Fernando Carulli (1770–1841) written in a period when beautiful pieces were composed for nylon-string guitar. Lynne then played her solo which was Etude Op. 1 Part 3 No.1 by Italian guitarist and cellist, Mauro Giuliani (1781–1829). It is marked “Maestoso”, and Lynne certainly played it majestically. Ellen played the final guitar solo which was Prelude in E minor by another Italian guitarist Francesco Molino (1768–1847). Ellen’s sensitive playing brought out the sweetness of this simple stately piece.
Jodi Lipson was the second pianist, and she delivered a moving rendition of Chopin’s Andante spianato in G major Op 22 written in 1834. The solo spianato was composed as an introduction to the Grande Polonaise Brillante in Eb major for piano and orchestra. Jodi expertly mastered the rippling effect of the introductory section in 6/8 time which led into the chordal trio section in 3/4 time. As required, she kept the music serene and controlled throughout with confident lyrical playing.
Changing the mood completely, violinist Stephanie Dailey catapulted us into the 20th Century with three delightful and dance-like pieces by American composer and pianist, George Gershwin (1898–1937). They were “Summertime” and “I Got Plenty of Nothin” from the musical Porgy and Bess (which was the first American folk opera), and “Embraceable You” from a 1928 play. The song was later featured in the 1951 film An American in Paris. Using her Bluetooth speaker to provide accompaniment, Stephanie wowed the residents with these songs that definitely awakened their memories. As she played, several ladies seated in the front row were singing every word of all three songs!
Our third pianist was Gregory Riviello who played Chopin’s Prelude in E minor Op. 28 No. 4 and Nocturne in C minor Op. 48 No. 1 Lento. These two pieces were polar opposites with respect to technical difficulty. At two minutes long, the Prelude was short and simple with gentle repeated chords in the left hand that supported a single soulful melodic line in the right hand. Chopin’s musical genius is exposed in the rubato and the passion with which the music must be infused to produce its touching melancholic sound. Gregory nailed both! The Nocturne, however, was six minutes long and peppered with ruggedly challenging passages including chromatic octaves in both hands. Its calm serene opening measures gave no hint of the tempest to come. As the piece crescendoed to its climax near the midsection, Gregory had us sitting on the edge of our chairs. He threw his heart into the loud frenzied chords while maintaining complete control. Then, in the last section, he skillfully descended from the mountain-top to quietly end the piece with three soft poignant chords. Chopin would have been pleased!
Gregory remained seated at the piano to accompany the final singalong led by Carol Henry. Ellen distributed the words to “God Bless America” which is a patriotic song written in 1918 by American composer Irving Berlin (1888–1989). One resident, Julie Rapeta, was so excited that she stood up to sing the entire song from memory in her sweet soprano voice. In fact, many of the residents did not need the words. They sang out proudly, so much so that we repeated the song with an impromptu back-up choir of all the performers joining in and waving American flags. Stephanie Dailey provided the icing on the cake when she belted out the last note one octave higher! It was an absolutely beautiful ending to another great recital.