Concert review: There's nothing like four dames

The evening was: “There’s Nothing Like A Dame” celebrating women composers and musicians. Four highly proficient and talented female string players from the Orlando Philharmonic — dames all right! — took the stage at the Plaza Live Theater on Monday, July 21, with the caveat to all males present, “Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better).” Well, they did beautifully, and I for one am willing to listen and not compete when Joni Bjella, Olga Ferroni, Karen Peters and Maureen May are playing anywhere within “hearshot!”

The evening began with two movements of a string quartet by Felix Mendelssohn’s older sister Fanny. The Allegretto movement brought faint echoes of Felix’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” “Invocation for Violin and Piano” by New Hampshire’s Amy Beach elicited winning musical conversation that showed off the excellent violinist Joni Hanze Bjella with Karen Peters at the piano.

Before intermission, a highlight was the “Scarf Dance” by Cecile Chaminade, an example of parlor music that is highly conversational by nature. Clara Schumann’s interesting Andante from her Piano Trio in G minor came next. The program’s first half closed with Amy Beach’s engaging “Summer Dreams for Piano Duet,” which enthralled the audience with pianists Joni Bjella, and Karen Peters at the Steinway.

After intermission came five delightful pieces among which a challenging piano trio by Jennifer Higdon stood out with its Puccini-esque Oriental-sounding chords and arpeggi. Maria Grever’s “Jurame” (Promise Love) was an audience favorite. Barbra Streisand’s “Evergreen,” Melissa Manchester’s “Come In From The Rain,” and a medley of Carole King hits closed the program to an audience applauding lustily on its feet.

The next Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra Sounds of Summer program will be Monday, Aug. 4, at 7 p.m. Call 407-770-0071 for more information.