The Scotiabank Northern Lights Music Festival’s “Piano and Fashion” concert on Friday, February 20 was advertised as “one of those once in a lifetime events” and it certainly more than lived up to that claim.
Set in a lovely Ajijic home, surrounded by spectacular views, the atmosphere became electric when piano virtuosi Jamie Parker and Angela Park got together to play piano four-hands. Their unique performance was superb and the entire experience was utterly magical.
They opened with four Hungarian Dances, based on traditional folk melodies, by Johannes Brahms in G minor - Allegro molto, No. 2 in D minor - Allegro non assai - Vivace, No. 5 in F# minor - Allegro Vivace, and No. 6 in D major - Vivace, followed by four of his waltzes. All were superb.
Inspired by Brahms’ Hungarian Dances, Antonín Dvořák’s 16 Slavonic Dances comprise his own melodies, composed in traditional Slavonic rhythms. Parker and Park played four: Op. 46 No. 4 in F major - Sousedská and No. 8 in G minor - Furiant from the first set of eight, composed in 1878, followed by Op. 72 No. 2 (10) in E minor - Starodávný and No. 7 (15) in C major - Kolo from the second, composed in 1886.
The thunderous applause, delighted faces and standing ovation said it all.
After intermission, the “fashion” element began. Event organizer Ceci Girling introduced Rosemarie Umetsu, who has been designing clothes for performing artists for almost 20 years. A classically trained pianist herself, her clientele at Atelier Rosemarie Umetsu in Yorkville, Toronto, includes many eminent musicians.
Umetsu explained her own creative process and the considerations involved when designing appropriate and comfortable wardrobes for creative artists. Then the fashion show began, with the models walking an eye-catching catwalk alongside the pool to the stone archway at the end.
Girling and Umetsu had worked extremely hard to put the whole show together, liaising long distance with measurements and other details so that everything was perfect on the day. Male and female musicians – including the Attacca Quartet – together with some local ladies, modeled the clothes. They all looked very elegant in Umetsu’s exciting and unusual fashions, details of which were explained to the audience as the show progressed.
It was an unusual and exceptionally enjoyable afternoon and one that will be long remembered.
Emma Bergh-Apton