Jazz and piano featured at Music Mountain this weekend

FALLS VILLAGE » Music Mountain continues its 88th season on Saturday with a debut concert by the Todd Marcus Quintet, followed by a Sunday afternoon performance by the St. Petersburg Piano Quartet playing Brahms, Shostakovich, and Schumann.

The Todd Marcus Quintet is a traditional ensemble with piano, bass, and drums and features a second front line instrument of clarinet, guitar, or vibraphone. The ensemble features Marcus’s rare use of bass clarinet as a lead horn in straight-ahead jazz; this unique feature demonstrates Marcus’ rich har- monic approach and ability to present the bass clarinet as a hard blowing jazz horn equal to saxophone and trumpet as a front line solo instrument. The Todd Marcus Quintet will present Marcus’s original compositions and arrangements of jazz standards.

The St. Petersburg Piano Quartet returns to Gordon Hall for a second weekend to present another remarkable program: Brahms: Viola Sonata in E Flat Major, Opus 120 #2; Shostakovich: Piano Trio #2 in E Minor, Opus 67; and Schumann: Piano Quartet in E Flat Major, Opus 47.

Founding first violinist Alla Aranovskaya and vi- olist Boris Vayner of the world-renowned, Grammynominated St. Petersburg String Quartet, have joined forces with award-winning cellist Claudio Jaffe and pianist Tao Lin to form the St. Petersburg Piano Quartet. Always in high demand, the ensemble regularly plays to sold-out audiences across the US

An accomplished violinist, Aranovskaya performed extensively throughout Russia before taking off on her professional journey with the St. Petersburg String Quartet. Violist of the St. Petersburg String Quartet, Boris Vayner has spent the last several years intensively touring throughout North America, South America, Europe and Asia. Born in São Paulo, Brazil, cellist Claudio Jaffe has been hailed by The New York Times as “an elegant and accomplished artist” of “taste, technique, musicianship, and a contagious youthful enthusiasm.” Described by critics as possessing “keen musical intelligence and excellent facility,” pianist Tao Lin has performed in Asia, North America, and Europe. A versatile musician, he is equally at home as soloist, recitalist and chamber musician.

Music Mountain is supported, in part, by the Connecticut Commission On Culture & Tourism and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Chamber music concerts continue with Daedalus String Quartet with Tanya Bannister, Piano (Aug. 27); Shanghai String Quartet (Sept. 2-3); and Amernet String Quartet with Vivek Kamath, Viola (Sept. 10).

The Saturday Evening Twilight Series continues with Michael Berkeley (Aug. 26); The Galvanized Jazz Band (Sept. 9); and Jive By Five (Sept. 16).

A Saturday evening preconcert dinner at the intimate Falls Village Inn at 5 p.m. is $70, including dinner and the concert. Seating is limited; reservations must be made 24 hours prior to concert date.

For a schedule, special ticket prices, and to download a ticket order form visit www.musicmountain. org or call 860-824-7126.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO The St. Petersburg Quartet performs Sunday at Music Mountain, part of its ongoing music festival.

GARY YOUNG PHOTOGRAPHY Todd Marcus Jazz Quinete performs at Music Mountain on Saturday.