The Rehearsal

Music at Midday is one of the most popular happenings at this festival. It’s a free 45-minutes of chamber music that brings both festival concert regulars and folks who might not otherwise attend evening concerts who want to take advantage of the time and the non-ticketed open seating.

Very informal with performances by fellows not faculty. Easy. Just let it happen. 

Not under the watchful eyes of music director Susan Grace and associate director Virginia Barron. 

After multiple sessions with faculty coaches, the green light is given to put the fellows’ work on the Packard Hall stage. And before that, the ensembles are joined by their coach(es) in Packard Hall to fine tune their interpretation and acclimate to a new environment. Only then are they ready to perform. 

And so it was on Wednesday morning when the Franck Quintet fellows were seated carefully on stage with the help of coach Toby Appel. Not only that, but Toby also rehearsed their post-performance bows. 

“It sounds silly, but it makes a difference. And you guys look good, it’s what’s most important,” joked Toby. “Anne (Marie Wneg), the brass group asked if you could play with their group too, so you’re in every piece.” 

Toby’s jest referred to the fact that the ensemble's first violinist opens the midday concert in that same capacity for the Vaughan Williams Piano Quintet. Her talents have been put to use for multiple ensembles and solo opportunities at the fest; she’s been very busy.

Then, some advice from Toby that was to prove to be golden later on. “This room lets you play really quiet. Use that.”

Now we would get to hear how all their work has paid off. Toby continued to coach.

“Anthony (Wu- pianist). You’ve got to control your dynamic depending on who you're playing with.” Violas and cellos don’t cut through as strongly as the violins, so they need more help to be heard during their exposed moments.

A new hall presented new problems to solve. 

“All bets are off. Have a great time and don’t worry about it.”

The Performance

Piano Quintet in F minor César Franck 

Molto moderato quasi lento (1822 - 1890)

Anne Marie Wneg, violin

Isabel Chen, violin

Nina Weber, viola

Ethan Blake, cello

Anthony Wu, piano

After a focused and beautiful performance of the first movement of the Vaughan Williams Piano Quintet and a robust but engaging reading of the first movement of the Böhme Brass Sextet, it was Franck time, this edition of “Music at Midday’s” finale. Packard Hall was almost filled.

The stage crew returned the piano to its proper position, and set chairs and stands, which the string players dutifully repositioned to mirror where coach Toby Appel had suggested. Pianist Anthony Wu, getting ready to play thousands of notes, had to spend a few minutes cranking up his piano stool. Not really what his hands needed at the moment.

No matter. It was time to launch. 

From the get go, there was something different going on. Heeding Toby Appel’s advice, the quintet let the hall carry their sound and were easy to hear without pushing dynamics. There was lots of sonic space left to light up as the movement progressed..

Donning my critic’s cap, they were making cohesive, beautiful and passionate music. Wu took full advantage of the mood and freely expressed himself as never before. The obvious seams in the sound that I had grown accustomed to experiencing in working sessions were elegantly closed up. Piano and strings were telling their story together. 

The audience remained transfixed throughout, and when the climax was reached, the ensemble’s dynamic patience paid off. The physical impact in the hall was dramatically shattering. When the coda hit full stride, the excitement in the hall was palpable. This was great art. 

Well, the audience sure felt so. The response was overwhelming and it was so satisfying to see how the quintet responded. Huge smiles, relief, and collective pride. The results had exceeded expectations.

The celebration continued into the lobby. The players knew what they had accomplished and the audience members found them in the lobby to congratulate. The praise would not stop. 

Happiest of all were a pair of parents. Locals Tim and Debby Blake both attended the Juilliard School (Ethan is a native of Colorado Springs). Tim, a retired member of The United States Air Force Academy Band, confessed that while always knew Ethan was talented, he is surprised with how good his son has gotten. As a former coach for the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony, Debby was witness to Ethan’s growth firsthand. 

Anthony Wu’s parents came in from Columbia, Missouri and were ecstatic at what they had just heard. Quite a ride for them to be here. Anthony’s father, Bin Wu, arrived in this country via Great Britain after growing up in the People’s Republic Of China. His mother Larisa Rudelson ia native of Ukraine, arriving here after living in Israel. Anthony? He’s a Missourian. 

Let’s leave the last thoughts to coach Toby:

“This was a very mature performance, played with lots of freedom. One of the best performances I’ve heard here.”

The Epilogue

It was a privilege to be able to attend these sessions and I was the person most surprised by this process. Once-upon-a-time, I performed as a classical baritone in operas, concerts and in churches. It was only working art songs with my wonderful accompanist, Laurie Forsythe, that I even approached this kind of  intensity. It was a revelation to watch the way these musicians worked. All five of them are destined for great things.