I was shocked to read this week’s (July 15 issue of the Lake Placid News) opinion piece written by Steve Lester, a man I’ve known and respected for many years. It was about the Sinfonietta concert on Sunday, July 10. Were we even at the same concert?? Where was his review of the evening’s performance? We got slapstick instead. He wrote paragraphs about himself, but not a word about Mozart’s Symphony No. 36, other that to say it was a “no brainer.” Nor did he write a word about the performance of “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.”

Instead of making fun at the expense of the orchestra in general and the music director and soloists in particular, Mr. Lester should be giving them a standing ovation. The only thing that impressed me about his article is that he hadn’t performed a journalist’s due diligence and asked even one question to get the more complete story behind the program changes. If he had, he might have written this instead: Violinist Alexander Kerr was to be the guest soloist. On Sunday afternoon, just hours before the concert was to begin, he contacted the music director, Stuart Malina, to say he had tested positive for COVID and would be unable to play. This left Mr. Malina and the orchestra SIX hours to create and rehearse a substantially revised program. Such agility is to be marveled at and celebrated. The orchestra had already finished their last rehearsal of the day, putting the final polish on every note of the intended program. Now, instead of resting ahead of the performance, conductor and musicians all came back to work; to reacquaint themselves with and rehearse the music in Mr. Malina’s revised program. This is no small feat. One can say that every classical musician knows “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.” That doesn’t mean they don’t need to rehearse it together, under the direction of a new baton, in order to give the audience, a performance we’ll enjoy. And we did! The same for the Bach Concerto for Two Violins.

The two violinists, concertmaster Daniel Szasz and principal second violinist Gaylon Patterson, whom Mr. Lester appeared keen to denigrate, were heroes! Daniel already knew his part and gave us his usual shining performance. Gaylon, however, hadn’t had occasion to play his piece of the concerto for some time. He generously stepped forward, offered his talent, spent time and rigor rehearsing, and then gave us a bravura performance on Sunday night. Instead of making fun, Mr. Lester should have been cheering.

We are extraordinarily fortunate to have 20 highly accomplished, professional musicians and their equally accomplished and gifted music director grace us with their first-class talent and beautiful music for six weeks each summer. Last Sunday evening, under difficult conditions, with virtually no time to rehearse, they performed to their usual high standard and gave us a wonderful concert. I couldn’t do it. Could Mr. Lester? I doubt it. I wish he’d put more effort into writing a review about the concert and less into trying to be funny at others’ expense.

Franny Preston

Saranac Lake