VALLEY OF THE MOON MUSIC FESTIVAL
Credit: VMMF
As if Covid-19 wasn’t enough, California’s cherished Wine County experienced yet another wildfire, the Glass fire that recently passed through Sonoma and Napa Counties, doing extensive damage to some of the latter’s wineries. This area is rich in history, culture, vineyards, small farms, five-star restaurants, art galleries and Sonoma, a rustic chic town nestled in the Valley of the Moon that was once inhabited by indigenous tribes. It only seems fitting that since 2015, the town has hosted Valley of the Moon Music Festival (VMMF) for two weeks in July under Co-Directors and Founders Tanya Tomkins and Eric Zivian.
These artists enjoy an engaging relationship as significant others, musical collaborators and performers par excellence in their own right: Tomkins on Baroque and modern cellos and Zivian at the fortepiano. Their vision to create VMMF as a venue for primarily post-Baroque repertoire played on period instruments offers an engaging opportunity for audiences to hear performances on a fortepiano or string instrument where players use gut strings and transitional bows. But this is what many 18th and19th century composers and performers played on especially in the earlier stages of instrument development.
VMMF brings the musical past into present with theme inspired programs that feature insightful topics like ‘Schumann’s World’, ‘Vienna in Transition’ and ‘Salonnieres – Women of Power and Influence’ which is infused into performances and the Blattner Lecture Series that presents music professors from Stanford and Harvard University. The festival also incorporates an Apprenticeship Program where advanced students learn about historic performance and are coached by a roster of distinguished faculty artists.
Both Tomkins and Zivian are truly historically informed performance experts as reflected by their intriguing musical backgrounds and international careers. Tomkins’ studies include the University of Southern California with Gabor Rejto, a pupil of Casals then in The Netherlands with Anner Bylsma, the Early Music specialist where her enthusiasm for period instruments continues to flourish. Her many recordings include Bach’s Suites for unaccompanied cello (Avie label) and as a member of the Euridice Quartet. Tomkins has appeared on prestigious concert series such as Lincoln Center’s Great Performances, 92nd Street Y, Vancouver Early Music Society, Music in the Vineyards in Napa and with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra of San Francisco - in addition to appearances in Europe during her 14 year stay. She is a member of Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, Delphi Trio and has also given master classes at The Juilliard School, Yale and San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
After receiving a diploma from Canada’s Royal Conservatory of Music Zivian continued studies in piano and composition with such luminaries as Gary Graffman, Peter Serkin, Ned Rorem and Jacob Druckman at the Curtis Institute of Music, The Juilliard School and Yale School of Music. He subsequently became a devotee of the fortepiano and the owner of two: a Poletti which is a copy of a 1795 Dulcken and an original 1841 Rausch made in Vienna. Zivian’s performances in Canada and the US include concertos of Mozart and Beethoven with the Toronto Symphony, Beethoven’s so-called Triple Concerto with Santa Rosa Symphony, frequent participation on San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s faculty chamber music series – and the Seattle Symphony premiered his work Three Character Pieces. His recordings include piano trios of Mendelssohn and Schumann with the Benvenue Fortepiano Trio and the Myrtle & Rose release with tenor Kyle Stegall (Avie labels).
Although VMMF was postponed this year due to pandemic concerns, streaming performances are being offered on their website and YouTube that feature a Virtual Beethoven Festival 2020 with festival artists and Sonata Sundays 2020 where Zivian performs this composers 32 piano sonatas on his Poletti and Rausch fortepianos – as tribute to Beethoven’s 250 birthday year. These broadcasts have significant appeal for the quality and intimacy of performances and because a limited number of pianists through the years have presented all 32 sonatas in concert or on social media - especially on a fortepiano, which brings up the intriguing question.
How authentic is our understanding of historic performance? After all, our playing is based on au courant perceptions, writings from the past about stylistic inflections and trying to find fortepianos to play on that have been restored, replicated and tuned to modern standards.
For practical or philosophical reasons, many pianists especially virtuoso types shy away from performing works of Beethoven, Schubert or Chopin on period instruments such as a 19th century Broadwood, Graf or Pleyel – which are often housed in museums. Has music-making evolved or have we drifted too far away from the original intent of what composers from the past had in mind?
For answers to these and some other questions let’s go to the source and get the scoop from Tanya Tomkins and Eric Zivian, in conversation with Editor Leonne Lewis.
Why is it important for classical musicians to revisit performance concepts of the 18th and 19th centuries?
Tanya and Eric: All music performance is inherently subjective: each player must interpret the directions on the printed page through their individual artistic lens. However, performing on historic instruments can bring the performer closer to the composer’s world by offering a completely different palette of instrumental colors, one that might more closely approximate what the composer was imagining. By helping the performer identify with the composer’s world this can lead to an even more personal approach to the music. It is with that in mind that Valley of the Moon Music Festival mentors emerging artists, empowering talented young performers to take greater risks and go deeper in their interpretation. Having experienced Classical and Romantic music in this new way they can take what they have learned with them and apply it to future performances on any instrument, whether modern or period.
What are some of the differences involved in modern vs. original performance?
Tanya and Eric: The biggest difference is the voicing of the historic pianos with their deep resonant bass register, the soft but articulate treble and the faster decay that, in chamber music allows the string players to use a more delicate assortment of colors, less vibrato and a wider range of dynamics. The shift of priority from ‘as loud as possible to be heard over the piano’ to the discovery of a whole new instrumental blend opens up a world of possibilities in Classical and Romantic music. The gut strings allow for a more spoken timbre that blends perfectly with the richness of the period piano. Once experienced, this will never be forgotten and can be applied in a modified way to modern instruments as well.
In what way did studies with Anner Bylsma influence your approach to Bach?
Tanya: I spent many hours driving Anner around Europe, attending his solo Bach performances and fetching his dinner before he played, not to mention having countless lessons with him. I happily absorbed his overall approach to the Bach Suites – a delicate balance of restraint and adherence to the rules of the Baroque period with improvisation and musical risk-taking. Anner always found ways to challenge the audience’s expectations, something I have aspired to in my own career. I will forever be grateful to have spent so much time around Anner Bylsma and his wife Vera Beths, two unbelievably imaginative musicians. It was due in part to this precious time with their family and all that I learned being around them at a formative age that I was so pleased we could incorporate an Apprenticeship into the Valley of the Moon Music Festival.
We know that Beethoven’s hearing loss caused him to demand more upgrades from piano manufacturers. So why shouldn’t we play his mature piano works on a modern piano?
Eric: Undoubtedly Beethoven was always searching for a new and improved piano. However, he wanted an instrument that sounded like the ones he already knew but with specific improvements such as an expanded range, more strings per piano key or a more singing tone. The modern piano, which evolved gradually over the next 50 plus years is something completely different with its steel frame facilitating a massive but somewhat undifferentiated sound. Beethoven’s piano writing, with its thick bass chords and active accompanying figures is difficult to realize well on a modern grand piano – and he would have written his music quite differently for such an instrument. By playing Beethoven on a period instrument it is possible to fully appreciate just how well he understood the instrument he was writing for.
What are some of the challenges involved in playing Beethoven’s late piano sonatas on the fortepiano?
Eric: Actually, now that I have grown fully accustomed to the touch of the fortepiano the answer is that there are no special challenges. Rather, it is playing this music well on a modern piano that is the true challenge. Playing Beethoven’s late piano sonatas on a fortepiano, the basic sound of the music seems to emerge out of the instrument almost effortlessly at times. Of course, there are many technical and interpretive challenges to this music on any piano. But when you hear the glorious sonorities of the Op. 109 sonata or the fiercely coherent counterpoint of the Hammerklavier’s final fugue on a fortepiano, you feel as though you can finally fully understand what Beethoven was up to.
Describe your playing a Baroque cello.
Tanya: I use a Baroque bow for Baroque music and my early 19th century Dodd bow for Classical and Romantic music. Generally, the Baroque bow works best for Baroque music, much of which is based on dance music because of the way it dances across the strings. Once the Classical style emerged it became more important to sustain the sound – thus bows became heavier and their weight more evenly distributed.
What kind of sound world does playing on period instruments represent to you?
Tanya and Eric: Once you experience the sound of the fortepiano we believe it becomes irresistible to modify your playing style on modern instruments. The aim is not necessarily to imitate the period sound in all respects but rather to incorporate the many elements that enhance the music.
What is the response from Valley of the Moon Music Festival audiences and Apprenticeship students when hearing works being played on period instruments?
Tanya and Eric: Audiences and students alike are surprised and delighted by experiencing familiar music in a totally new way. It has been especially illuminating in our new venue format where the audience sees and hears the music up close on their computer screens. That has been a silver lining to presenting music from our living room – the type of room chamber music was meant for.
This year’s Valley of the Moon Music Festival was postponed due to pandemic concerns so any special plans yet for next summer’s festival?
Tanya and Eric: We plan to return to live events to the extent consistent with public safety while continuing to stream the music to our new virtual audience. The festival will focus on other composers’ reactions and responses to Beethoven’s music – whether they had to rise to the challenge by following in a giant’s footsteps, tried to emulate his style or out-and-out rejected his music. The exact details and format will be made public once we know what will be possible in this uncertain period we are all living through. Music is one thing that remains constant, whatever form we are able to share it in.