Chevy Chase House is one of two Outreach venues in Washington, DC, and recitals there are always well-attended. On Saturday, March 22nd, there were 28 residents in the audience. On the program were three pianists, a violinist, a flutist, and a flute/horn duet. After a brief introduction about the AMSF, the recital began at 4:00 p.m. with pianist Jung Yeon Kim.
Jung played Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C# minor by Franz Liszt (1811–1886). It is the second in a set of 19 Rhapsodies. Written in 1851, the piece was made famous in 1947 by the Tom and Jerry animated cartoon called The Cat Concerto. Jung mastered the scale runs, the arpeggiated right hand, the challenging octaves, and the contrary motion with ease. Her energetic but controlled playing produced an excitement that was mirrored in the resounding applause at the end.
Jung’s solo was followed by an instrumental duet with Kit Chan on the French horn and Sharon Atteh-Chi on the flute. Accompanied by pianist Allan Wang, they played “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” by Ernest Roland Ball (1878–1927) in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, which was on March 17th. To the delight of the performers, two ladies seated in the front row immediately recognized the melody and began singing the words of the chorus while other residents swayed gently to the waltz-like music in ¾ time. The contrasting timbres of the horn and the flute added to the beauty as the instruments imitated each other with the catchy melody. The piece was very well received.
Jodi Lipson played next and captivated the audience with Op. 28 Preludes Nos. 6, 1, and 4 by Frederic Chopin (1810–1849). Chopin wrote preludes in every key, but these were three of his most well-known. Though both No. 6 in B minor and No. 4 in E minor were similarly slow, short, and solemn, the B minor was the reverse of the E minor with chords in the right hand and melody mainly in the left hand. Jodi’s delivery was so good that one could actually feel the pathos in these two melancholic preludes as she played. However, No. 1 (which she played second) was in C major and marked “Agitato,” so it provided a perfect contrast for the two minor keys. As Jodi returned to her seat, one resident shouted “Beautiful!”
Violinist Stephanie Dailey always succeeds in engaging the seniors because she intentionally selects pieces that will resonate with them and motivate them to sing along. For this recital she chose “La Donna e Mobile” (The Woman is Fickle) by Giuseppe Verdi (1831–1901) from the opera Rigoletto; “O Mio Babbino Caro” (O My Dear Papa) by Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924) from the 1918 opera Gianni Schicchi; and “O Sole Mio” (My Sunshine) composed in 1898 by Eduardo di Capua (1865–1917) and Alfredo Mazzucchi (1878–1972), with words by Giovanni Capurro (1859–1920). The song was made famous by Elvis Presley who renamed it “It’s Now or Never.” Accompanied by her Bluetooth speaker, Stephanie wowed the audience with her excellent playing.
Sharon Atteh-Chi followed with two unique flute pieces by French composers. They were Etude No. 8 in C minor written in 1828 by Louis Drouet (1792–1873), and “Pastorale” in D major by Germaine Tailleferre (1892–1983) who was a child prodigy. She wrote the song in 1942 during the Nazi occupation of France, and it became a source of comfort for the many trials that she experienced during that tumultuous time. Sharon began with the Etude. Designed to help musicians develop technical skills, this Etude exploited the full range of the flute. She then played the “Pastorale” which gave one a sense of floating on the water. Both pieces effectively displayed Sharon’s skill.
New member Allan Wang was the final pianist, and he played “Pure Imagination” from the 1971 film musical Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. It was written by British composers Leslie Bricusse (1931–2021) and Anthony Newley (1931–1999), and arranged for piano by Rupert Austin. Allan gave a beautiful and sensitive rendition of the piece and was obviously comfortable at the keyboard. The audience showed their appreciation with energetic applause.
An impromptu encore followed because the residents had thoroughly enjoyed the French horn/flute duet, so Kit, Sharon, and Allan graciously performed their Irish piece again, bringing the recital to a close on a delightful note. The residents were in no hurry to leave the room when they ended, and several remained to chat with the performers. John Eisold, a retired Navy Admiral, made it a point to come over and tell us how grateful he was for the music. The two songbirds in the front row, Evangeline and Harry (short for Harriette), also shared their appreciation of all the music. Community Outreach recitals never fail to bring joy to the residents!