Shipshape

The four young men of New York’s Flux Quartet brought on a fascinating program of experimental chamber music, including a collage work for strings and tape by first violinist Tom Chiu and a curiosity by none other than Benjamin Franklin; pianist Gloria Cheng, the Los Angeles treasure, tied the Festival to-gether with a solo recital of music by French and British composers; Japanese-born, USC-trained composer Naomi Sekiya‘s Deluge, winner of Ojai’s new ”Music for Tomorrow“ award, gave pianist Vicki Ray and the Philharmonic a bracing 10-minute workout. For the young of any age, a ”family program“ offered Saint-Saens‘ familiar Carnival of the Animals led by Rachael Worby, with sprightly 13-year-old pianists Jessica Ou and Valerie Lau, and actor Peter Bellwood delivering clever narrative verses created by Stephanie Fleischmann, daughter of Festival director Ernest. A true ”family“ program, in other words.

By any measurement, then, it was a full and wondrous weekend. Next year promises an all-American sweep, including music by Harry Partch, the most original of all homegrown mavericks, with the Philharmonic’s own Esa-Pekka Salonen in charge. And next year‘s prospects at the Opera have also suddenly turned glowing, with the appointment of Kent Nagano as principal conductor, a position much needed where none existed before. Onward!

There’s no space to deal with the Long Beach Opera‘s latest production -- a double bill of Italian one-acters by Puccini and, better yet, Luigi Dallapiccola’s Volo di Notte -- but I‘ll do so in a week or two. There’s one more performance, Saturday, June 17, at the Carpenter Center at Cal State Long Beach, and I urge you to make tracks. Even by this brave company‘s usual high standards, this is a terrific accomplishment.