Arriving to Amagansett mid afternoon after intense mid summer traffic, more than three hours alone in a car wending my way through the final throes of Book Five of Knausgaard’s Struggle, I craved, and found, something collective and cool to do. I made my first visit to the church in nearby Montauk, St. Therese of Lisieux, and was delighted by the vaulted blond wood roof reminiscent of a boat’s insides, a polite nod to the fisherman who were Montauk’s early residents, and the gorgeous detailed stained glass in every window, rivaling the great cathedrals of Europe. It was a nice surprise. Even nicer was the concert, part of the Music for Montauk Summer Series. The musicians were astoundingly talented, with impressive and large bios, all played across the world in various symphonies, won presitigious music prizes, trained at Julliard and the like, wrote their own music, and hold professorships at renowned institutions. The audience was very small, of mostly locals, and grouped into the first few rows of pews. This concert, especially for its excellence, could have been promoted a bit better, but just arriving on the hour as it was starting I was happy for that as I got a great seat. They were done in about an hour, playing only movements from larger pieces, including one to showcase the brilliant clarinettist in a Mozart piece,one written by the violinist, and which showcased the rock star cellist in a new work. Introducing the performance a musician apologized for taking us out of a beautiful day after a week of rain, and at the most beautiful hour at this time of year, but no one minded judging by the cheers between pieces and the standing ovation to finish. Five young musicians, playing two violins, a viola, cello, and clarinet, on a summer evening a few steps from the beach, a nice start upon arrival, and to finish, a glass from a beautiful bottle discovered from the local store, another nice surprise, Natura, an organic Chilean Carmenere, bold enough to stand on its own, light enough to complement a summer evening.
Tiny Church Concert Hits Big – 8/11/24
