The Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival Focuses on Love This Year

For classical music fans on the East End, this summer is a season for love. That’s because from July 14 to August 11, the 2024 Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival will be in residence for its 41st year, presenting a dozen concerts at the Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church, Channing Daughters Winery, the Madoo Conservancy and the Parrish Art Museum.

This time around though, the affection will likely run even deeper because it’s being reciprocated with the 2024 BCMF focused on the twin themes of transformation and love in music.

“The programs that we do always, in some way or another, find how we’re feeling in this present day,” explained Bridgehampton Chamber Music’s founder, flutist Marya Martin. “The idea of transformation and everything changing, that’s both good and bad. I’ve chosen to see the good side of transformation here, and also love. For me, love and respect go together and it’s something we are so needing right now.”

To that end, even BCMF’s annual benefit fits the theme and is titled, what else, “For the Love of It.” That takes place at the Atlantic Golf Club on Saturday, July 27.

The idea of focusing on love and transformation for 2024 came about as Martin and BCMF’s executive director Michael Lawrence were batting around ideas of a festival theme. Martin recalled that she suggested a romance piece be included in every program, so that people don’t forget how inspiring life can be.

“I don’t want to sound proselytizing, but as you get older, you reflect more on certain things,” said Martin. “What’s important in your life, being inspired and feeling the emotions of love and being lucky in this world come out more. And I feel like I’m the luckiest person in the world.

“What also makes me feel really lucky and inspired and gives me energy is the young musicians coming now into the festival,” she said. “They are so wonderful, so talented and work so hard, their minds and hearts are open to music from all over. It’s inspiring to be part of their musical life.

“They know it’s a happy festival to come to,” she added. “They know they are respected, admired and really loved when they come here. I’m interested in their careers, want to know what’s new with them, what ideas they have.”

Martin finds that the musicians, young or not so young, who choose to take part in the BCMF each summer also do so because the programs are diverse, with a mixture of both centuries old music and brand new cutting edge compositions as well.

“The feedback is that the programs are always interesting,” said Martin. “They don’t come here and play the same old fare. Yes, we do have the Mozart or Brahms they’ve played before, but there’s always something they haven’t played.”

This year, among the new pieces that no one has played yet is “The Lotos-Eaters,” which will have its world premiere at the festival on August 1 and is a BCM commission from pianist and composer Michael Stephen Brown. The work is inspired by Tennyson’s poem of the same name, which in turn is taken from a tale from Homer’s “Odyssey” about mariners who, once they taste of the lotos, forget their homes and live out their days in bliss.

“Two years ago, Michael sent me some scores and then another piece I loved, so I said, ‘I want you to write this for us,’” said Martin. “‘The Lotos-Eaters’ has marimba, xylophone and bells, and each movement is a slightly different combination of cello, piano and flute.

“Michael will tell us more about the piece at the concert, but it’s out there. I think the music is ethereal, like the poem. I think it will be very beautiful,” said Martin. “The amazing thing is, we only rehearse it in three days. We only just got the score and it’s barely dry. But we know our stuff and we sit with it and hear the score in our heads. You can hear the parts coming together. We always will allow more time for a piece that is brand new.”

Also on Martin and Lawrence’s minds in crafting this festival was the desire to include the work of female composers and composers who are underrepresented. To that end, the festival’s opening concert on July 14 is titled “Schumann Journey” and it includes a piece by Chinese composer Zhou Tian titled “Viaje” for flute, cello and piano. In the same program is a piece by Florence Price, a composer of African American descent, whose “Adoration” for violin and piano speaks to a Godly devotion.

“No one knew Florence Price until times changed and people started seeking out African American music,” said Martin.

Also on the opening concert program is Mozart’s Duo for violin and viola in G major and Schumann’s Piano Quintet in E-flat major.

“Every program has its own flow about where we go,” Martin explained. “‘Viaje’ means journey in Spanish, and that’s what life is about — it’s not about getting somewhere. The Price piece continues this journey with love, and the Mozart and Schumann pieces on the program are the icing on the cake.

“In these little program blurbs I write, it’s hard to get that across. But at the concerts, I spend five or 10 minutes explaining why we have this piece or that piece,” she said. “Schumann wrote this piece about Clara, who wasn’t allowed to marry because she was his student and a lot younger, and it’s important to lay that out at the top of the program so they hear it in the music.”

Something else new for the festival this year is the venue of the Madoo Conservancy in Sagaponack, where a wine reception and concert will be held in the garden’s newly-reconstructed gallery on August 7.

“It’s a small venue, so it sold out in a second,” Martin said. “It’s a little more informal, so it may be a venue to showcase younger musicians or different kinds of music, or something where we want to offer to attract younger audience members.”

Another concert that young people may be intrigued by is the Wm. Brian Little Concert on August 9, in the Channing Sculpture Garden with wine and hors d’oeuvres. The concert features the great jazz guitarist Stephane Wrembel in a program that explores the connection between the music of Bach and the jazz legend Django Reinhardt, including Reinhardt’s own interpretation of Bach’s double violin concerto.

“[Wrembel] does this version of Bach’s D minor violin concerto. I’ve heard him play it and it’s incredible,” said Martin. “We’ll do Vivace from Bach’s concerto for two violins in D minor, then he’ll join in and he takes over and goes crazy and we stop playing. it’s a really interesting way to look at this iconic piece by Bach.”

Sounds like there’s a lot to love in Bridgehampton in the weeks ahead.

Tickets for concerts at Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church are $75/$50 ($10 students). Prices vary at other venues. For tickets, visit BCMF.org or calling 631-537-6368.

Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival 2024

Sunday, July 14, at 6 p.m. Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church — “Schumann Journey”: Zhou Tian - “Viaje” for Flute, Cello and Piano; Florence Price – “Adoration” for Violin and Piano; Robert Schumann - Piano Quintet in E-flat major, Op. 44.

Thursday, July 20, at 6 p.m. Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church — “Beethoven Variations”: Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Trio No. 2 in G major, Op. 1, No. 2; George Rochberg - Variations on Pachelbel’s Canon, from String Quartet No. 6; Ludwig van Beethoven - Romance for Violin and Piano in F major, Op. 50; Carl Reinecke - Piano Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 34.

Sunday, July 21, at 6 p.m. Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church — “Americans in Paris - Gershwin/Debussy/Currier/Ravel”: George Gershwin - Lullaby for String Quartet; Claude Debussy - Prélude à l’après midi d’un faune for ensemble (arr. Graeme Steele Johnson); Sebastian Currier - “Ongoingness” for Harp and String Quartet (world premiere, BCM co-commission); Maurice Ravel - Introduction and Allegro for Flute, Clarinet, and String Quartet.

Thursday, July 25, at 6 p.m. Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church — “All-Bach Concerti”: J.S. Bach - Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV 1043; Triple Concerto for Flute, Violin, and Harpsichord in A minor, BWV 1044; Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 for Harpsichord, Flute, and Violin, BWV 1050. Marya Martin, flute; Tien-Hsin Cindy Wu, violin; Anna Lee, violin; Amy Schwartz Moretti, violin.

Saturday, July 27, at 6:30 p.m. Atlantic Golf Club — “Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival Annual Benefit: For the Love of It”: Philippe Gaubert - Pièce Romantique for Flute, Cello and Piano; Michael Stephen Brown - “Argument” from Relationship for Clarinet and Violin; Robert Schumann - Andante from Piano Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 47; Johannes Brahms - “Rondo Zingarese” from Piano Quartet in G minor, Op. 25. Marya Martin, flute. Tickets: 212-741-9073

Sunday, July 28, at 6 p.m. Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church —“Beethoven & Strauss:” Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Trio in B-flat major, Op. 97, “Archduke”; Richard Strauss - Piano Quartet in C minor, Op. 13. Erin Keefe, violín; Masumi Per Rostad, viola; Mihai Marica, cello; Orion Weiss, piano.

Thursday, August 1, at 6 p.m. Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church — “Mozart Reflections”: W. A. Mozart - Quartet in A major for Flute and Strings, K. 298; Kevin Puts – “And Legions Will Rise” for Clarinet, Violin, and Marimba; Michael Stephen Brown – “The Lotos-Eaters” for Flute, Cello, Piano, and Percussion (world premiere, BCM commission); W. A. Mozart - Piano Quartet in E-flat major, K. 493.

Sunday, August 4, at 6 p.m. Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church — “Dvorák and More”: Louise Farrenc - Sextet for Piano and Winds in C minor, Op. 40; Arvo Pärt - Mozart Adagio for Piano Trio; Antonin Dvorák - Piano Quartet in D major, Op. 23.

Monday, August 5, at 6 p.m. Parrish Art Museum —“Exploring Color:” Francis Poulenc - Trio for Oboe, Bassoon, and Piano; Joseph Suk - Meditation on the Old Czech Chorale “St. Wenceslas” (arr. for winds); Iva Bittová - Hoboj and Divná Slecinka for Oboe and Viola; Edward Elgar - Salut d’Amour for Cello and Piano; Sergei Rachmaninoff - Trio élégiaque No. 1 in G minor.

Wednesday, August 7, at 6 p.m. Madoo Conservancy — “Wine & Whimsy”: Ludwig van Beethoven - String Quartet No. 12 in E-flat major, Op. 127, I. Maestoso. Allegro; Claude Debussy - String Quartet in G minor; Vijay Iyer - Mozart Effects for String Quartet; Vijay Iyer – “Dig the Say” for String Quartet; Parker String Quartet.

Friday, August 9, 6 p.m. wine and hors d’oeuvres, 7 p.m. concert Channing Sculpture Garden. Wm. Brian Little Concert — Stephane Wrembel “Bach & Django”: J. S. Bach - Vivace from Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV 1043 (arr. Reinhardt); Django Reinhardt - Improvisation No. 1 for Solo Guitar; J. S. Bach - Air on the G String from Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068; Django Reinhardt - Songe d’Automne; Erik Satie - Gymnopédie No. 1 for ensemble (arr. Manchon); J.S. Bach - Prelude No. 12, Book II, from The Well Tempered Clavier, BWV 857 (arr. Reinhardt); Django Reinhardt - Minor Swing for ensemble.

Sunday, August 11, at 6 p.m. Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church Bridgehampton. “Outstanding Octets – Mendelssohn/Enescu”: Felix Mendelssohn - String Octet in E-flat major, Op. 20; George Enescu - String Octet in C major, Op. 7.