Jeffrey Silberschlag and the Chesapeake Orchestra, having finished the 2012 River Concert Series season at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, are adding three free concerts at nearby Woodlawn Farm at 16040 Woodlawn Drive, Ridge MD. The first of these was Friday August 3rd at 7PM and it was, in a word, wonderful!
On a smaller scale than the River Concerts, the orchestra was a 12-14 piece chamber orchestra, situated on a ground-level pad outside Woodlawn’s dining room. All strings for most of the pieces played, it consisted of five violins, four violas, two cellos and a bass. A french horn and Jeffrey’s trumpet were added for one piece. Several hundred chairs were arranged with backs to the spectacular waterfront, and the appreciative audience numbered around three hundred, though many more could be accommodated. The hot August sun was kept at bay till sunset by a huge old shade tree and a pleasant breeze.
Woodlawn Farm hostess Maggie O’Brien, co-owner of Woodlawn with husband Jim Grube, and former president of St. Mary’s College, introduced Mr. Silberschlag. She referred to him as a best friend and genius, due to his hard work in music. He quipped that he is not a genius, just very smart! Tchaikovsky, he said later, was a genius.
The first piece played was Mozart’s “Eine kleine Nachtmusik” (“A Little Night Music”), which was made famous by a wine commercial. This pleasant and beautifully played four movement piece was perfect for a light evening concert.
Next was Tchaikovsky‘s Serenade for Strings. Jeffrey told us it would help cool us off, as one part resembled snowflakes. It is on a symphonic scale with many melodies, many widely familiar, and again beautifully played.
After the intermission, Jeffrey handed over the baton to his son Zachary so he could play the trumpet solo of Haydn’s “Trumpet Concerto in E-Flat Major”. Unfortunately, in the first movement, our pleasant breeze played mischief with his music in spite of at least four clothespins, blowing the pages back and forth as Zachary and another helper tried to control it for him. The complex solo part allows no breaks to retrieve lost pages! He said “Experience is knowing when not to play”, and quickly hummed the familiar melodies of the other movements.
Two Duke Ellington pieces, adapted to strings, followed. “Sophisticated Lady” featured a violin solo by José Cueto, a playful second part and lot of slides in the music. Jeffrey announced the other Ellington piece, “I’m Beginning to See the Light (which is not the case)”, as it was already dark by then.
Finishing out the evening was George Gershwin’
