Ari Barack Fisher

Ari Barack Fisher’s “The Sonnenberg Suite” The Sonnenberg Suite About the Sonnenberg Gardens and Estate Frederick Ferris Thompson, a New York City banker, and his wife Mary Clark Thompson, daughter of a NewYork governor, bought the 300-acre Sonnenberg farm near Canandaigua Lake in 1863 as their summer home. They replaced the old farmhouse with the current mansion in 1887. After Mr. Thompson died in 1899, Mrs. Thompson turned the grounds into a memorial garden. In her travels around the world, she drew ideas from different gardens to create the unique mix of styles that distinguish the Sonnenberg Gardens. She worked on the garden estate from 1902 to 1919. About The Sonnenberg Suite Upon hearing the ATLYS string quartet perform a concert at Ferris Hills in 2019, Thomas Mees, a volunteer at the gardens was inspired to approach the group after the concert with great enthusiasm about his vision for a piece of music that would embody the majesty, enchantment, history, and beauty of the Sonnenberg Gardens. Ari Fisher was commissioned by ATLYS to compose the ten movement, hour long work. Each movement serves as a vignette portraying each of the nine gardens and their themes, with an additional movement that serves as an overture. I . The Sonnenberg Gardens This grand overture begins with Sonnenberg Estate owner Mary Clark Thompson’s theme. This theme can be heard throughout the suite, depicting Thompson as she walks through each of her gardens. The movement is flavored with flowing melodies somewhat reminiscent of Borodin, Tchaikovsky, and Dvořák. The movement builds to a raucous climax before a stunning cello solo slows the piece back down. Near the end, a particularly delicate moment features a solo violin accompanied by gentle pizzicato. Perhaps this is Mary remembering her late husband and the tender moments they shared before being whisked off to celebrate the opening of the gardens, which she had built in his memory. II. The Japanese Garden Thompson’s peaceful Japanese Garden contains tiny stepping stones, a teahouse, and a slow flowing river. The themes are inspired by the texture of nature, rustling leaves, occasional breezes, and the famous Sakura folk melody about cherry blossoms. In homage to the kokyu, the only traditional Japanese string instrument played with a bow, the melody is played high up on the cello. The orchestra achieves a truly quiet sound and unique color utilizing metal practice mutes. III. The Sub-Rosa Garden We duck into the beautiful lush greens of Thompson’s private hideaway with playful pizzicatos, then warm chords that reach a breathtaking climax as the marble fountain flows. Slow tender music follows, reflecting the serene calm felt after being alone in the “secret garden.” IV. The Rose Garden Coming from the quiet resolve of the Sub-Rosa Garden, the Rose Garden blooms dramatically into a melancholy cello solo accompanied by fluttering strings that color the mind’s eye with French Impressionism. Just as every rose has its thorn, the Rose Garden explores the sometimes bittersweet tenderness of love and heartbreak. This movement is extra special to Ari and ATLYS because he arranged for the quartet to perform it in the gardens as he proposed to his darling wife, Jamie. V. The Old-Fashioned Garden The main melody of the movement is a neoclassical minuet inspired by Haydn and early Beethoven. We dance through pathways of a formal English country garden with a splendid pergola. VI. The Blue and White Garden We hear Thompson’s theme as we enter her favorite garden which features only blossoms of, you guessed it, blue and white. This limitation brings together flowers perhaps not typically seen together: blue ageratums, blue delphinium, blue salvia, sweet alyssum, campanula, phlox, hyacinth, and agapanthus. VII. Pansy Garden A short movement shines a spotlight on the gorgeous, warm, and chocolatey sound of the viola, supported by colorful harmonies of the other strings. The botanical latin name of the pansy, after all, is “viola.” VIII. Rock Garden With its statue of Pan, earthy stone walkways and shaded tunnels, this garden has darkly dissonant sounds until the rising entangled scales illustrate the thick climbing hydrangea that follows up a hundred year old staircase to the roof of an open stone summer house. IX. Moonlight Garden This garden, best viewed at night with its white flowers and silver foliage, begins rhapsodically, almost improvised. As the introduction comes to a close, the solo viola plays a lullaby while the rest of the ensemble joins in counterpoint, filling in intense harmonies. The movement ends with a restatement of the theme played using harmonics, eerie whistling tones, painting the image of the garden mysteriously glistening in the moonlight. X. Italian Garden The suite concludes with a rip-roaring Rondo Tarantella, a rapid whirling dance originally from southern Italy. The piece comes to a brilliant end, accelerating until it seems to collapse with exhaustion and bravura!