The conclusion of the new Pittsburgh Jewish Music Festival on Wednesday evening was a characteristically superb concert, combining bold programming with vibrant performances.
"Chamber Music from the Old World," as seen retrospectively from the new world by contemporary composers, featured five pieces -- not a weak one in the lot -- played by 10 of the city's finest musicians, most in the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
Introducing the music of Srul Irving Glick is one of the festival's significant contributions. The Canadian composer, who died in 2002, wrote a little masterpiece in the piano quintet that was heard at Rodef Shalom Temple in Oakland. "The Old Toronto Klezmer Suite" is a beautifully crafted portrait of four scenes: the energy of "Kensington Market," both a high-flying song and deeper emotional murmuring at "The Roseland Cemetery," kibitzing at "The United Bakers' Dairy Restaurant" and concluding with the three parts of "The Rabbi's Wedding at the Palmerston Shul."
Glick's music expresses the widest range of emotions, from unspeakable sorrow to unbridled exuberance, with wonderfully distributed parts for each instrument. The viola part is uncommonly prominent, really equal, and was played with idiomatically expressive phrasing and tone by Marylene Gingras-Roy, whose technical assurance was also extremely impressive. These qualities were shared by her colleagues -- violinist Jennifer Orchard, cellist Michael Lipman, bassist Jeffrey Turner and pianist Natasha Snitkovsky -- in a performance whose sheer joy in music making was irresistible.
The music that opened the concert and preceded the Glick piece was also a gem by the rising Argentine composer Osvaldo Golijov. "Lullaby and Doina" is based on a slow song and dance, followed by an exuberant conclusion. Clarinetist Ron Samuels drew special evocative colors from his instrument, with flutist Alberto Amarza and five string players producing a strong ensemble sound.
Amarza, Gingras-Roy and harpist Gretchen Van Hoesen completed the first half with a clear yet resonant performance of one of Pittsburgh composer David Stock's best pieces, "A Vanished World." Inspired by photographs of East European Jewish life, the distinctly expressive material, which is beautifully scored for the same roster of instruments as a famous trio by Claude Debussy, includes several passages of severe anxiety near the end -- perhaps a premonition of disaster to come, suggests the composer.
Joel Hoffman's "The Music Within the Words, part 2" and David Schiff's Divertimento from "Gimpel the Fool" featured different lineups of musicians heard on the first half.
The high quality of the new festival, successful in so many ways -- including box office -- is due to the hard work, smart choices, devotion and superb musicianship of young cellist Aron Zelkowicz. He displayed exceptional taste in selecting repertoire, hired great musicians to perform it, and played at the highest level himself.
