Wednesday, July 11: In the evening, we went to The Breakers for "Souvenirs of Italy," a potpourri of Italian themes. It began with the entire Harold in Italy of Hector Berlioz, with the first two movements from Nicholas Wiedman, a young violist who was not very good—he played awkwardly and off-pitch for most of the first ten minutes—and Bernadene Blaha at the piano, trying to emulate un orchestre Berliozien. When you talk about a reduction for piano of music by Berlioz, you are talking drastic weight loss. As brilliant as she was, she could not emulate the color and depth of Berlioz’ orchestration. The last two movements were played by Gilad Karni, an Israeli who began here as a kid in 1994 and has evolved into a world-class violist. He showed how the viola should be played. Kevin Fitz-Gerald tried even harder than his wife, with the famous Berlioz fortissimo syncopation of the final movement. He pounded like Piers Lane, but without sweat. Still, it was a reach. After intermission, Alain Jacquon gave an exquisite account of Venezia e Napoli by Liszt. This is a very musical piece with some subtlety, unlike the total showoff piano reductions that he is noted for. Then six songs by Reynaldo Hahn, artfully interpreted by Carl Halvorson, an American tenor. What he lacked in vocal ability, he made up for in interpretation and good taste. The program closed with Hugo Wolf’s Italienische Serenade by the Whitman String Quartet.

Thursday, July 12: I spent the day at a nursing home doing some consultations. Scott St. Germain came by for a visit. In the evening, we returned to The Breakers for Onion Domes, a program of Russian music. Hamish Milne opened with a set of piano variations by Liadov on a theme by Glinka. He plays with a light and clear touch, very clean. Then Gilad Karni joined him for a Suite for Viola and Piano by Bakaleinikioff that was quite familiar and magical, perfectly executed. Next came a set of Variations set for Oboe by Rimsky-Korsakoff, played by Jane Murray of the Rhode Island Philharmonic. She played artfully, but I found the music boring, and you can only stand so much of a solo oboe, which is good for coloration, but an irritating sound in the long run. Next came six French songs by Catoire a late 19th Century Russian of French extraction, sung by Wendy Waller, who was billed as a soprano, but sounded like a mezzo, and Leslie Johnson, who was billed as a mezzo but sang like a soprano. Eh. After intermission, a duet by Wendy Waller and Carl Halvorson by Glinka, with Tom Hrynkiv at the piano. This was just exquisite, their voices a perfect blend for the lush, romantic music. Then the concert closed with the American première of a Sextet by Glinka of themes from Bellini’s La Sonnambula, with Livia Sohn, Geoff Nuttall, Alain Jacquon, Alberto Bocini the Florentine bass player, Julie Albers, and Nicholas Wiedman. There are some pieces that are rarely performed with good reason.