Bob Bernhardt led the orchestra in a little-known work by Respighi, (“Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite II”), with a lovely and lively Baroque sound.
The first soloist was Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg who played “The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires” by Piazzolla. This unknown-to-us composer did works based on the tango and instruments common to Argentina. Salerno-Sonnenberg quite literally attacks music, instrument, orchestra, and audience - she is so energetic and enthusiastic. She really pulls you into the music.
Anne-Marie McDermott is another musical showman. She did a great job with Gershwin’s “Concerto in F”. I felt like she was channeling Oscar Levant with her feel for Gershwin’s jazz and blues.
And for an encore, when McDermott came back onstage to the piano, Salerno-Sonnenberg came out from the violin section of the orchestra to join her. She was in all black, so I don’t know if she was in the orchestra during the Concerto, or came out during the applause. They did two selections from “Porgy and Bess”, “Bess, You Is My Woman, Now,” and “It Ain’t Necessarily So”.
Just fantastic!
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