Music on the Edge

And the winner is?

OK, Saturday's Music on the Edge concert was not a competition. But it did present two pianists in one night, Margaret Kampmeier and Stephen Gosling, at Bellefield Hall.

The idea for a "Powerhouse Pianists" festival originated in New York, about the only place you can hear a recital of new music on a regular basis. It's a clever idea for any genre or time period, if you have the funds, because it presents two interpretations.

Kampmeier's half presented entirely women composers, but no argument was needed with these outstanding works. Rebecca Clark's (somehow unpublished) "Cortege" found the pianist gracefully articulating an intriguing motif within an impressionist texture. Ruth Crawford's Preludes arrived with precision, and "Hoosier Rag" by Julia Niebergall and "The Richmond Rag" by May Aufderheide enlivened the program.

Eleanor Cory's "Play Within a Play" imagined its own powerhouse pianists concert of Bud Powell and Bill Evans. "Refined Art," by Pitt composer Amy Williams, was inspired by pianist Art Tatum. Originally a piece for four hands, fitting for Tatum's prodigious ability, the captivating work took Kampmeier to the breaking point with florid runs, blues touches and hints of walking bass until a sudden and arresting cadence -- a reference perhaps to Tatum's life cut too short at 47.

Gosling also began his half with an impressionist piece that held compelling motivic underpinnings, George Tsontakis' lovely "Bagatelle." Gosling got to the heart of Poul Ruders' "Star Prelude & Love Fugue," masterfully combining its serious, fantastical and humorous take on the traditional forms. Etudes by Gyorgy Ligeti, including "Devil's Staircase," ended the concert in which the audience was clearly the winner.

"Powerhouse Pianists" concludes 8 p.m. Friday at Bellefield Hall, Oakland with Marilyn Nonken and Kathleen Supove; 412-394-3353.

-- By Andrew Druckenbrod, Post-Gazette classical music critic

Renaissance & Baroque Society

The Renaissance & Baroque Society of Pittsburgh unveiled its season Saturday night with Spiritus Collective. A septet of two violins, two sackbuts, baroque trumpet, theorbo and harpsichord, the Collective brought several baroque gems to Synod Hall, providing a delightful concert.

Displaying her pure, seductive tone, Julie Andrijeski gave an outstanding performance of a trio-sonata by Dario Castello. The plaintiveness of Andrijeski's opening phrases gave way to her skill for crisp articulations. She made her violin speak every note clearly, no matter how short. The dynamic shift to a painfully soft moment spoke volumes about the understanding she and fellow musicians Grant Herreid (theorbo) and Mahan Esfahani (harpsichord) brought to Castello's intriguing composition. Like hammer blows from a Mahler symphony, Herreid's heavily strummed theorbo chords closed this piece with a dramatic and tragic flourish.

Castello's unique compositional voice also was displayed in two sonatas. Erik Schmalz displayed his sackbut's wide range and provided excellent counterpoint to Robert Mealy's and Andrijeski's violins. The ensemble was tight, matching articulations and note durations with stellar results.

Mealy and Andrijeski melded their timbre and styles in the duo moments, communicating with body movements and constant eye contact. In their solo passages, they allowed themselves to show different personas -- a performance decision that was artfully realized in the conclusion of the last Castello sonata. They turned back to back, so that only the sound holes on Mealy's violin were facing the audience. The dynamic effect made Andrijeski act as Mealy's musical shadow and further confirmed the presence of two musical characters within Castello's composition.

-- By Burkhardt Reiter, for the Post-Gazette