The August 17 SummerFest concert, “California Dreamin’,” began with a captivating performance by dynamic classical and jazz pianist Conrad Tao. The concert paid homage to Sergei Rachmaninoff, who spent his final years in Los Angeles after leaving Russia.
Tao’s program featured improvisations on songs inspired by Rachmaninoff, including Irving Berlin’s “All By Myself,” Harold Arlen’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” Billy Strayhorn’s “Lush Life,” and “Day Dream,” as well as “Full Moon and Empty Arms,” which served as the main theme for the final movement of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2.
Tao also performed his own improvisations on Variation 15 and Variation 18 from Rachmaninoff’s “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.” Violinist Simone Porter joined Tao for Strayhorn’s “Day Dream” and Rachmaninoff’s “Daisies,” which was originally arranged for violin and piano by Rachmaninoff for the renowned violinist Jascha Heifetz.
Tao concluded his segment with Rachmaninoff’s “Etude-tableau” in C Minor, demonstrating his mastery in both intricate jazz improvisations and Rachmaninoff’s Romantic compositions.
The first half of the program also included the three-movement Sonata for Two Violins by Hungarian-Jewish composer Miklos Rozsa. Known for his prolific Hollywood film scores, including classics like Quo Vadis, El Cid, and Ben Hur, Rozsa also composed significant classical works. The Sonata for Two Violins, initially composed at age 26 in Paris and later revised, was dedicated to violinist Louis Kaufman and his wife, pianist Annette Kaufman.
Violinists Blake Pouliot and Simone Porter performed Rozsa’s sonata with energetic flair. The movements, “Allegro risoluto,” “Lento assai,” and “Vivo e giocoso,” displayed Rozsa’s Hungarian roots and evoked the style of his compatriots Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály.
After the intermission, the “California Dreamin’” concert featured works by four contemporary composers with ties to California. Simone Porter, accompanied by a string ensemble, performed John Williams’ “Theme from Schindler’s List” with great sensitivity.
Reena Esmail’s “Fantasia” from her String Quartet, Ragamala, was performed by the Abeo Quartet—Njioma Grevious, Rebecca Benjamin (violins), Jakes Kang (viola), and Macintyre Taback (cello). The quartet’s performance of “Fantasia,” which blends Esmail’s Indian heritage with classical training and includes a brief vocal segment by the composer, was mesmerizing.
The final works of the evening included Terry Riley’s “G Song” and selections from John Adams’ John’s Book of Alleged Dances. Both pieces were commissioned by the Kronos Quartet, and cellist Paul Wiancko of the Kronos Quartet performed alongside violinists Simone Porter and Blake Pouliot. The violists varied: Mathew Lipman played in Riley’s “G Song,” and Masumi Per Rostad in Adams’ dances.
“G Song” featured a relentless, driving rhythm with prominent roles for each instrument, while the Adams selections—“Dogjam,” “Alligator Escalator,” “Toot Nipple,” “Habanera,” and “Judah to Ocean”—were brief, sardonic pieces reflecting Adams’ minimalist style. Both commissions were executed with vibrant energy.
The SummerFest concert series, which concluded last Saturday after four weeks, was a resounding success, featuring innovative programs and enthusiastic audiences.
