"Faces of Love" Feb 11, 2024: Music on the Hill Benefit

Vicky Ehrlich and Ava Soifer

Something folks may not know about me is that not only do I love live music, I ADORE small performance venues that create intimate settings for enjoying the live music mentioned above. To further the plot, I am enraptured by house concerts and struggle to think of a house concert I have attended and walked away disliking. It seems that house concerts are by default enjoyable and provide an elevated form of intimate live music and entertainment lacking in our digital age. 

February 11th I had the utmost pleasure of attending my first house concert since 2018, a benefit concert for Music on the Hill, a community-supported, non-profit chamber music organization presenting "high quality concerts at affordable prices". 

"Faces of Love" was a vocal concert predominantly featuring pianist and music director of Music on the Hill Ava Soifer and two members of the internationally renowned vocal a cappella ensemble Chanticleer, bass Andy Berry and countertenor Cortez Mitchell. Berry and Mitchell performed a variety of beautiful pieces for solo voice and duets all on the theme of the multi-faceted nature of love. In anticipation of Valentine's Day, this was a wonderful, cozy performance featuring the beauty of the two singers' voices and the warmth of Soifer's lovely piano playing in close proximity.

Some highlights included hearing Mozart's "La ci darem la mano" and some cult classics such as Fauré's "Après un rêve" performed by Mitchell. Unintentionally, I particularly enjoyed the other Fauré on the program as well, "Lydia", performed by Berry. Offenbach's "Barcarolle" was also featured in conclusion of the vocal portion of the concert. Mitchell's and Berry's voices blended wonderfully with one another, creating a touching tribute to the most cherished nature of love, supported by Soifer's masterful playing. A spectacular experience to be able to hear the ensemble up close and the choice of repertoire allowed for variety while maintaining a meaningful thread in the musical narrative. 

Short, but sweet, the conclusion of the concert was a treat. Together, Ava Soifer and cellist Vicky Ehrlich performed a gem of a piece, Piazzola's "Le Grand Tango," originally composed for Mstislav Rostropovich. As a conclusion to the wonderful evening, this piece expressed the almost most carnal manifestation of love -- dance. 

A great pleasure to attend and a lovely tribute to Cupid leading up to the heart-wrenching day.