A Weekend at Garth Newel Music Center

The Bath County escape hits many a high note

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Garth Newel Music Center resident artist Jeannette Fang’s hands and feet flew up and down off piano keys and pedals in the quartet’s rendition of Astor Piazzolla’s “Primavera Portena (Spring)” from “The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires.” Violinist Teresa Ling, violist Evelyn Grau, and cellist Isaac Melamed played in perfect time and tune with the piano dynamo. 

The dynamism of the Garth Newel Piano Quartet is well hidden among the 114 partially wooded acres in Virginia’s Allegheny Mountains, where the four artists-in-residence play all year — not only “off the wood” of the former horse barn in which they perform, but off their instruments’ wood. The end result is nothing short of a nourishing, warm experience outside of the village of Warm Springs in Bath County.

It’s apropos that internet service can be spotty in the county, as my husband, Tom, and I felt we had connected to something larger once we crossed the mountain and drove State Route 220 through Hot Springs — home of the Omni Homestead Resort & Spa.

The Music

A quartet member provides insights into each piece. Fang, for example, explained Johannes Brahms’ Piano Quartet No. 2 in A major, Op. 26, by pointing out “the first movement’s sounds of graceful mobility” followed by the carefree “Poco adagio” and the “heart and soul of the piece” in “Scherzo: Poco allegro,” where Brahms “probes the anguish of his life, though there’s a redemptive mood at the end when the violin and cello play alternately and then triumphantly together.”

Making Friends

We learned that despite — or perhaps because of — its isolated location, more than a few audience members are returning guests. Garth Newel has been a source of lifelong friendships for some. From one of our newfound friends, Bath resident Maggie Anderson, we learned that “Some of what you should be doing here is not doing anything,” which echoes the philosophy of another new friend, New York’s David Elliott, who sees “musicking” as a medium for exploring our many different relationships in life.

Sound Companions

Dinner (an optional addition to reservations) follows, with the staff’s precision movement of tables following Friday and Saturday evening concerts. Staying for dinner is a “must” in our opinion (online/direct-mail programs provide advance menus). Resident chef Josh Elliott turns the former horse ring into a gourmet venue where the dinner isn’t just dinner, but a dining event where performing quartet members join guests at the round tables for conversation. Music plays a transformative role in “living good,” feeding our souls as well as comprising important parts of the conversation.

Accommodations

Spacious, comfortable rooms in Garth Newel’s Manor House — without television, radio or other distractions — can sleep a party of 18 or offer an intimate setting for a couple (one handicapped-accessible room available). The Giles Cottage and Green Room Apartment provide additional rooms. Reservations/information: 540-839-5018, garthnewel.org; email: tama@garthnewel.org.

Bath County offers activities ranging from tea at the Homestead to a massage at Warm Springs Spa and visits to the town’s galleries, discoverbath.com.

Insider’s Tip

Enjoy browsing the manor house’s mahogany-lined bookshelves in the library and strolling the center’s grounds and hiking trails.

Save the Dates

April 13 ($25)

April 27 ($25)

May 18 (“Pay what you wish”)

May 19 (Free)

May 24-26 ($25)

Spring season guest performances range from Brahms Sonatas for Violin and Piano on April 13 by two faculty members from Florida State University to the Allegheny Mountain String Project, a local youth orchestra, on May 19. Performances include light refreshments afterward to encourage the meeting and mingling of artists and guests for which Garth Newel has become known. garthnewel.org/events/list