Stolen Fire: Hilary Hahn/ Josh Ritter: Guilty!

July 18, 2007 at 11:02 PM

I find it both ironic and eery that beautiful
beautiful peace loving historic Quaker
inspired Guilford College's Dana Auditorium, was
the scene of this crime. They are Guilty!
Guilty I say! The proof follows.

July 17th at eight in the evening, a very mixed
unsuspecting crowd assembled at Guilford
College's Dana Auditorium as part of the
Eastern Music Festival. Little did they know
that their hearts would be layed open raw, as
Hilary Hahn and Josh Ritter both literally and
figuratively stole fire from the Gods, and, made
them like it. Disgraceful.

Young girls and old softies would be enticed
by Josh Ritter's opening folk songs, that was
not unlike the rare four of four star rated by
the "Rolling Stone" Tom Rush lyrically. Knowing
exactly how to break the ice, the coy, calm, cool
Josh Ritter was setting the stage for this crime,
as Josh's last song relied on the eternal "Last
Rose of Summer", evoking the equally powerful
image of a rose. Despicable! Oh, the plot thickens.

Showing the true connection between folk and
classical, the pied piper two would then deploy
lovely Ms. Hilary Hahn to finish off the poor
people, with a direct poignant example of how
Ernst interpreted Variations on "The Last Rose
of Summer" classically. These partners in crime
were playing pre-meditatively--I'm sure of this.
I will convince you of this.

Josh Ritter would rest the crowd before intermission with a beautiful song: "The Blue Flame". But their plotting and nefarious ways were not far behind. And I think the rest may have had other motives.

I'm sure of their intentions because next Hilary
Hahn finished off the call to battle with the most
beautiful rendition of Bach's Sonata for solo violin No.2 in Am imaginable after intermission.
Every note, every phrase, every vibrato was
perfectly intoxicating, rich, balanced, resonant
and God inspiring beautiful.

Or was it really God invoking and provoking? I think you see the picture of their plot too, as well as the intention of Josh's previous rest.

Sadly but tellingly, Hahn even warned the crowd
sort of. "If you don't like violin, you should
leave because for the next twenty minutes....",
as she played Bach. A pin could be heard. A silence fell on the auditorium unmatched throughout the entire evening. I could feel the entire group melting. Of course nobody left--they were completely mesmerized.

Diva Hahn would truly begin the epochal battle
playing Ysaye's "Ballade"-I think a test to ensure
the crowd was present and ensnared in what would
happen next, by adding complex "abstract"
substance to their evoking of the Gods.

Hahn then reversed order of examples by interpreting Erlkonig:Ernst's "Caprice for Solo Violin, after Franz Schubert, Op 26. Further drawing the crowd in with her description of the four voices present in the piece, the War was about to begin.

Josh Ritter boldy, even courageously stepped up and shared his interpretation of the same Ernst piece from Schubert, entitled as a direct translation "The Oak Tree King".

Josh's images were bright and lucid, and he told the story in the true spirit of storytelling, but in song in his most brilliant animation of the four voices. The God's would soon show their displeasure at Josh's sharing of eternal secrets.

The battle between Greensboro North Carolina and
Prometheus was just beginning though, you can be sure of this.

Paganini's 24th Caprice, finished off the crowd who had had their hearts melted with Hahn's interpretation of Bach. Now the Gods tried to fight back!. Thunder and lightening erupted loud war dances just above Dana Auditorium as Hahn played Paganini. (True story)

One poor soul who was still trying to compose himself from her Bach, displayed what seemed a maniacal grin, given swollen eyes and a defeated embarrassed countenance hoping nobody could see, as all hades broke lose outside and Paganini filled the hall inside. Translation: 'ee-hah.' These two showed no mercy friends!. No mercy at all... They are guilty!

But after defeating the Gods, and involving the
entirety of Dana Auditorium, Hahn stood with her
foot on Prometheus' chest as she played
Paganinians for Violin by Milstein, bringing
Everyman's de Tocquevillian journey into the
present.

And Josh Ritter stomped his feet right beside
Prometheus right ear, by having the audacity to
accompany Hahn with classical guitar in Paganini's
Cantabile as an encore, quite beautifully--his first attempt at that form.

Knowing they were defeated, the God's quieted the
thunder and rain enough for the poor unsuspecting
victims of this epochal exercise to return peacefully
to their hamlets and hollows; as if this time the
God's, were inducing future wars of phenomenal
beauty, skill and interpretation of life itself.

Storytelling at it's best!. Brilliant. Exhausting.

From Pauline Lerner
Posted on July 19, 2007 at 1:00 AM

It sounds wonderful, especially the encore with the Paganini piece for violin and guitar.

From Albert Justice
Posted on July 19, 2007 at 2:08 AM

Pauline--though obviously I have many, I don't have any--words. The Bach Sonata--oh myyyy gosh.

From Ruth Kuefler
Posted on July 19, 2007 at 3:02 AM

Wow, Albert this concert sounds fantastic! I wish I could have been there - for the Bach especially. I love that sonata. Thanks for sharing your "story." : )

From Albert Justice
Posted on July 19, 2007 at 3:19 AM

Ruth-I'm honestly still speechless and somewhat overwhelmed. Her violin filled that place in a surreal manner to my inexperienced self, and when she did the sonata, it really was like magic or something. I can see why it would be one's favorite. ;).

From Jim W. Miller
Posted on July 19, 2007 at 11:42 AM

Hillary needs a real folksinger, like Hobo Jim. Not some boy soprano. Is she woman enough?

From Albert Justice
Posted on July 19, 2007 at 12:38 PM

I would have to think she could wrap any folk singer round her pinky with two notes on her violin.

From Donna Clegg
Posted on July 19, 2007 at 4:22 PM

Awesome concert review!

From Albert Justice
Posted on July 19, 2007 at 4:30 PM

Thanks Donna--it was fun. I can only write when inspired. As I mentioned in a note to her, you really shouldn't rip old men's hearts out and punt kick with your music.

From jennifer steinfeldt warren
Posted on July 22, 2007 at 3:16 PM

"you really shouldn't rip old men's hearts out and punt kick with your music."

-Awesome. Can I use that as a quote on my email signature? Some of the things that come from your brain, dear Albert, put the humour back into my day.

-JW

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Stolen Fire: Hilary Hahn/ Josh Ritter: Guilty!

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