Dan's Papers - July 18, 2008 - LIRR Train Performs with Orchestra Here

As promised, the Long Island Rail Road brought a special train out to The Music Festival of the Hamptons for the performance of Dr. Mark Petering's music for "Train and Tower" last Saturday night. It was bigger than the one they sent to the world premiere of this piece at this festival five years ago. That one consisted of one locomotive and four cars. The one they sent on Saturday was a double-ender, with five cars in between. That's two locomotives and five passenger cars. The music festival thanked the railroad. And everybody who was there thanked the railroad for their contribution to this composition.

When I say "special train," I do not mean it was a special train with passengers on board bound for the festival. Not at all. This was the lending of a train as a musical instrument. Those on board consisted of engineers, officials and public relations people from the railroad, with cell phones, who were in contact with other train officials under the music festival tent for the performance.

Although the performance would not take place until 8:40 p.m., after a Haydn Symphony, the train arrived at 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon so the orchestra and the conductor and the composer could work with the railroad officials in a series of rehearsals. Under the tent, the orchestra assembled on stage with their instruments, Guttman tapped his baton, and the piece began with a series of short staccato notes by the violins. Sam Zambuto, from the railroad, with his cell phone, stood alongside the empty seats with Petering and they listened as the piece built, then settled back down, then built again. Finally, Petering whispered "Now" to Zambuto. And he barked an order into the phone.

One mile away, at a siding at the Bridgehampton Railroad Station, the engineer slammed the train into forward gear and pushed the pedal to the metal. The train lurched forward, then picked up speed and began chugging down the tracks.

The music now went into a crescendo, until it reached its full musical climax, then collapsed into silence. And that was when the train was supposed to come through. But it didn't. Four seconds passed, then five, then six, then seven. Then, with its horn blaring, the train shot through at full speed 30 yards away, long after its cue and way too late. It was awful.

"This is why we have rehearsals," Guttman said on stage as the train roared off.

There was a second try. And this time, the train came in before the piece reached its climax. What to do? Split it down the middle for a third try. And this time, the train came in right on time, roaring through into the climax - a transfer of music from on stage to the tracks 30 yards away - and then fading off into the darkness. And that was that.

As the sun set and the crowd assembled, everyone was worried that the train would not come in on time during the actual performance. The Haydn went well, in fact beautifully, with the orchestra receiving a standing ovation and Guttman taking extra bows.

And then it was time for "Train and Tower." As the orchestra was putting music on their stands, however, a series of sirens, high on telephone poles, went off all through downtown Bridgehampton, calling the volunteers to the fire house. You know this sound. It wailed louder, and then softer, and then louder, and then softer, and everybody hoped that this was all that was - a fire somewhere.

It did occur to me that perhaps this was something else, something far worse - for example, a nuclear attack or something. We waited. The sound went on and on. And at one point, Guttman leaned over to a microphone and said, "It's my car," which got a nervous laugh from everybody.

The real issue, however, was "the window." Fourteen trains go back and forth on this single track on a typical Saturday. The audience may not have thought about this. But the performers all knew about it. If the piece was not performed for a particular amount of time, which railroads called "the window," then the train would not perform at all. And its moment in the sun, or in the dark, would pass. They'd have to play the piece with no train. Perhaps the audience could go, "Whoo whoo."

Finally, the sirens began to fade. Help was on its way to wherever it was.

My seat was next to Mark Petering's. I leaned over. "Are we okay?" He didn't answer. I don't think he knew. And then the conductor started the piece and the violins began the staccato notes.

The music built and built, and as it reached its climax, quite suddenly, the howl of the locomotive horn joined with it. The train was early. But it was long. And it was still passing as the piece hit its thunderclap and stopped. And then the horn of the rear-ender locomotive put a triumphant wail to the end of the performance.

It was something new! Unexpected, but thrilling in a new way. Everybody was clapping and screaming.

I looked at Mark. "I like it," he said proudly.

Two performances followed "Train and Tower." One was an astonishing piece played by the orchestra accompanying a solo by George Gao, who is probably the greatest performer in the world of an ancient Chinese instrument called an erhu. The other was another Haydn concerto, featuring William DeRosa on the cello.

Then the chiefs of the festival, including its founder Eleanor Leonard, her husband Fraser Dougherty, composer Mark Petering, conductor Michael Guttman, several reporters including this one and about a dozen others drove over to Pierre's French restaurant on Main Street, and just before midnight, commandeered three big tables for a late congratulatory dinner. You probably know that Pierre's 40-year-old antique Deux Chaveux automobile is parked right out front every night. What nobody knew that night until we went in there was that all the waitresses were dressed as French ladies in waiting, the waiters were dressed as French Generals, and Pierre was in a King of France costume. I have no idea if they do this every night. But it sure made that dinner special.

The festival continues on through this weekend and then next weekend, with more performances under the tent and then several more at the Old Whaler's Church in Sag Harbor and Wolffer Estate in Sagaponack. See the coming events section for the schedule.