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Palisades Virtuosi: Margaret Swinchoski (flute), Donal Mokrynski (clarinet), Ron Levy (piano), guest artist Patrizia Conte (mezzo-soprano). "The Women Speak: in celebration of Women's History Month." Music by Madeleine Dring, Mozart, Chaminade, Fanny Mendelsshon Hensel, Caroline Newman: Fantasie (premiere), Amy Beach, Gladys Rich, Katherine Hoover, and Libby Larsen. Unitarian Society, Ridgewood.

The Palisades Virtuosi presented a concert entitled "The Women Speak." And they spoke with conviction as the Palisades Virtuosi, consisting of pianist Ron Levy, flutist Margaret Swinchoski and clarinetist Donald Mokrynski, with guest artist Patrizia Conte, performed this music as if they had it in their blood. The concert was given in celebration of Women's History Month.

Madeleine Dring, a composer of the Twentieth Century, was introduced first on the concert. Her [Trio for flute, clarinet and piano] began with a playful Allegro con brio. Much of this movement consisted of banter between the flute and clarinet over jaunty boom chick-chick type accompanimental figures in the piano part, a technique befitting the jocose nature of the opening movement. The clarinet and flute soared over the piano, mostly playing off of one another or together in thirds. The second movement, marked Andante semplice, which the composer wrote symbolizing a love duet for her and her husband, opens with romantic chords in the piano part. The clarinet then entered with a very poignant melodic line played beautifully over the piano accompaniment. After the flute entered, taking over the melody, the clarinet entered with the melody again. This time he began with a sustained note blossoming into the melody along with the flute's counter-melody. All the while there were lush chords in the piano part. Towards the end of the movement the flute and clarinet ascended in thirds and their sounding together was entirely appropriate for a love duet. The final movement, marked Allegro giocoso, is the most playful and capricious of the piece, opening furiously with the piano and then followed by the highly animated lines of the clarinet and flute. Here the melodic lines are angular. The flute and clarinet played off of one another in the midst of flamboyant piano interludes. Particularly entertaining were the wild passages of piano scale work. Toward the end of the movement the flute and clarinet played an exciting cadenza perfectly, practically in unison. It's apparent from this piece that Madeleine Dring must have had a great sense of humor.

Mezzo-soprano Patrizia Conte sang an excerpt from Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito, arranged for piano and clarinet, with confidence and a flair for the dramatic. The excerpt begins with brilliant and forceful chords in the piano and the voice enters in a highly declamatory manner. Patrizia's voice was powerful and expressive with a lovely connected range in that she makes the transition from her low, "male" voice to her high, heady voice seamlessly. Clarinetist Mokrynski negotiated beautiful passages reminiscent of Mozart's concerto for clarinet with apparent ease. The descents into the low range of the instrument and higher passage work were absolutely fluid. This opera excerpt was performed convincingly and with the utmost drama.

Cecile Chaminade's Op. 101 for solo piano entitled L'Ondine gives the piano a chance to show off its different colors. This was made more apparent by pianist Ron Levy's sensitive performance. The initial melodic gestures of the piece sound over lilting arpeggios caressing the ear in the high register of the piano. The piano writing is ever bright and impressionistic, played by Mr. Levy as if he had an entire palate of orchestral colors at his disposal. When the opening melodic figure returned, Mr. Levy's sound became even more delicate than when it first appeared. He played like flowing water as the piece ended with its final upper register passage-work.

Lyrical vocal writing which becomes very dramatic characterizes Der Abendstern, the first of the two songs composed by Fanny Mendelsshon Hensel heard on this concert (he wrote many). In these songs Ms. Conte's voice took on a more intimate character. Das Meer erglänzte weit hinaus is comprised of dance rhythms under the folk-like quality of the melodic writing. Toward the end the vocal line rises and finally settles on the word "thränen," which in German means "tears." Here the song ends abruptly.

Twenty-First Century composer Caroline Newman wrote her Fantasie for flute, clarinet and piano in the year 2006. Commissioned by the Palisades Virtuosi, this was its world premier. In Fantasie, we are taken on a journey from the dark and mysterious to a world of light. Toward the end of the piece the music becomes jubilant. Miss Newman's use of the alto flute and the bass clarinet adds a sense of foreboding to the music. Her writing for these instruments is natural and ever appropriate for the tenor of the music.

Several moments in particular spoke to me during the performance. In the beginning of the piece the alto flute and clarinet play trills before the melody enters with the clarinet. Under this melodic material, to which the flute is now added, lilts the piano in a manner truly haunting and disquieting. Images come to mind involving a forest wherein the trees block out the light, gradually receding so that the light may enter. After this movement from dark to light the music becomes ecstatic. Toward the end of the piece I noticed the continuity of the short motivic material. The piece ends with exciting descents and ascents in all the parts, beautifully negotiated by Palisades Virtuosi.

Nineteenth and Twentieth Century composer Amy Beach set three poems by Robert Browning for flute, piano and mezzo-soprano. "I send my heart up to thee!," Op. 44, No. 3 is written in the grand romantic tradition of the time. Amy Beach, herself a pianist of great note in her time, composed lush piano gestures under quite a substantial, even vocal line. This song is dramatic and provided a wonderful vehicle for demonstrating the versatile and facile Conte.

Ecstasy, Op. 19, No. 2, is striking in that a flute obbligato exists along with the vocal line. The piano part remains accompanimental throughout the song. Again, Ms. Conte was impressive with regards to her transitions from the chest voice up into the heady, higher ranges. "June" was the final song of the set and provided a nice contrast to the other two songs. The song is sprightly and bright and is suited perfectly to the text. Again, a flute obbligato is maintained along with the vocal line. The song ends dramatically.

One of the high points of this concert was for me American Lullaby written by Gladys Rich. The song is beautiful in its simplicity and was sensitively sung by Ms. Conte.

Twentieth Century composer Katherine Hoover wrote a now very famous and oft performed piece for solo flute entitled Kokopeli. The composer managed to integrate the feel of the Native American Hopi flute player who, as legend has it, led the migration of his people with his flute playing. The work is successful as the music is highly evocative of what this Native American music might have sounded like. Flutist Swinchoski played hauntingly with a far off sounding, absolutely gorgeous, rich tone. The flute part later becomes more agitated with difficult passage-work which Margaret Swinchoski executed with ease and grace.

The final piece of the concert was Libby Larsen's Barn Dances for Flute, Clarinet and Piano. There are three contrasting movements, each beautifully crafted. In the first movement, "Forward Six and Fall Back Eight," the piano is not merely accompanimental; it is integrated into the texture along with the flute and clarinet parts. This music is exciting and very much like a hoedown in that the gigue-like dance rhythms propel the motion of the piece with their momentum. In the second movement, "Divide the Ring," the composer makes a tribute to Gene Autry with a quote from one of his songs. The movement is atmospheric, as I imagined I was taken into the parlor of an old-time saloon. The music is purposely schmaltzy and playful supplying surprise after surprise. Next we heard the movement entitled "Varsouvianna." This is a slow, simple and dreamy waltz. The clarinet and then flute played angular melodic lines which are lovely and always maintain a sense of simplicity. Finally, we heard "The Rattlesnake Twist" which is more of a *tarantella with jazz rhythms. The opening tritone *flutter-tongue in the flute is creepily maniacal. The tarantella itself is fiery and fast, making me think of swarming insects. The fabulous playing of Palisades Virtuosi brought many images like these to mind.

The Palisades Virtuosi players are a gracious bunch who made the concert even more enjoyable than usual. They ended with a encore of Claire Grundman's Waltz and Interlude which was lovely and light and an entirely appropriate close to an inspiring evening.

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