(Photo: Margot Schulman)

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was an ardent friend of the arts. She co-curated dozens of concerts with Washington Performing Arts (WPA) President Emeritus Doug Wheeler at the Supreme Court, and was a regular at the Washington National Opera, which honored her with a program and included her in the production of “La Fille du Régiment” which was received with great enthusiasm. In her honor President & CEO Jenny Bilfield, Rudy Burwell, Board Chairman and Doug Wheeler, President Emeritus and WPA created an annual Ruth Bader Ginsburg Memorial Award and Concert. This year the concert featured three women composers including two premieres, with narration by RBG’s close friend Nina Totenberg.

Performance Details

Nina Totenberg’s spoken narration was as good as an aria, with excellent presence and warmth. Her well-known beautiful voice provided perfect articulation. The program included world-renowned composer Jennifer Higdon’s tribute to Justice Ginsburg, “Steps for Justice,” with text excerpts from Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Gabriela Lena Frank’s “The Edge of Everything” with text by Rachel Carson (author of “Silent Spring”).

The music of Frank’s work, “The Edge of Everything,” closely followed the text of Carson’s work, which although prose, was very poetic. “In passages where the narrator speaks freely, the quartet answers, comments, breathes with her, sometimes falling silent at precisely the moments where the weight of a word needs space to land.” The powerful message of Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” resonates all the more since she passed away from breast cancer. Composer Gabriela Lena Frank was not present for this premiere as she was premiering a new operatic work in New York.

From the program notes by composer Frank: “She understood…that the most faithful rendering of the natural world demands both the microscope and the poem.”

Musical Highlights

The Pacifica Quartet sensitively followed the text responding to the emotions and poetry in a manner reminiscent of how films are underscored, giving the text great weight in the overall balance. It was impressive that at no point did the creative accompaniment to the text overwhelm the text. As a result, this was a satisfying work meant to be repeated in other programs.

Pulitzer Prize winning composer Jennifer Higdon, sat at the foot of the stage directing the string quartet and Totenberg’s narration. One has to admire the fact that Nina Totenberg followed these scores while narrating the text. Higdon’s music was strong and rich in harmony, demonstrating her masterful ability as a composer. This particular work is in the tradition of Copland’s “Lincoln Portrait.” The text, unlike the Carson text which consisted of meaningful quotes, the Ginsburg text is biography mixed with important quotes from “Notorious RBG.” In that regard it could be a wonderful program piece for new audiences no longer familiar with this titan of women’s rights, civil rights, and human justice.

The Pacifica Quartet opened the program with a third female composer, enjoying a time of rediscovery for her work. Florence Price (1887-1953), String Quartet No. 1 in G major, is a two-movement work (18 minutes). The opening movement is a lyrical traditional sonata allegro. The second movement is in ternary form: Andante Moderato, Allegretto and a return to Andante Moderato. “It is heartfelt music of a hymn-like solemnity.” For those interested in manuscripts, Georgetown University has some of her manuscripts, photos and correspondence.

The second half of the program was the 50-minute Beethoven String Quartet in Bb Major, op. 130. This six-movement work has the possibility of being performed with two different endings (chose your own ending!). The original ending was the one included. Two large outer movements frame the inner movements (two scherzos and two slow movements). This composition is among the greatest examples of Beethoven’s reputation for conflict and lyricism in his work, akin to the 9th symphony. Outstanding playing was exhibited from the beginning of the Adagio, ma non troppo and throughout the movements dominated by the first violinist, Simin Ganatra, whose clear tone and projection were features of the performance. Powerful and expressive performances were delivered by violist Mark Holloway and cellist Brandon Vamos, with some of the best playing coming from the second violinist Austin Hartman.

The Cavatina section was notable for its familiarity and its relief in contrast to what follows. This movement can be enjoyed for its lyrical melody and dance rhythm. The movement ends marked Beklemmt- oppressive (not verklempt), when “the music seems to stumble and then makes its way to close over halting and uncertain rhythms.”

The last movement, Grosse Fuge, is described as violent, aggressive, charming and I would add humorous, as it has the quality of deceptive endings, and more deceptive endings while displaying the total mastery of fugue, there are three of them in this movement, all reminding us that Beethoven is among the greatest geniuses of music.