Naumburg Orchestral Concerts (6/14/16) (I of V)

On an absolutely beautiful Tuesday evening, Ensemble LPR opened the 111th season of the Naumburg Orchestral Concert series. That’s a mighty impressive run. There are four more this summer in case you want to join in on the fun. Ensemble LPR is the “house band,” if you will, of the downtown performance venue Le Poisson Rouge. I’ve never attended anything there, so I’m glad I got to hear the ensemble in Central Park.

Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis (1910) – Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958)
Concerto for Clarinet, Strings and Harp (1947–1949) – I. Slowly and expressively – Cadenza; II. Rather fast – Aaron Copland (1900–1990)
Cruel Sister (2004) – Julia Wolfe (1958–)
The Unanswered Question (Revised Version ca. 1934) – Charles Ives (1874–1954)

The Fantasia’s opening was quiet and somewhat stately. The piece, for strings only, also included a rich sound with some strong accents. I particularly enjoyed a step-out viola mini-solo. I’m not sure if it was the composition itself, the outdoor setting, or perceived relaxation, but it felt ever so slightly rambling at times. Nevertheless, the entire piece was lovely.

Vasko Dukovsky, clarinet, jogged onstage and cued the ensemble to begin the Copland Concerto. The lyrical opening was for solo clarinet and strings, with harp and piano adding a bit of heft, as well as light percussive accents. The clarinet cadenza introduced more “tunes” and the energetic clarinet jazz riffs, plus a foray into swing, swept right into the second and final movement. The swing section was more classical swing than classic swing, and rounded out the piece nicely. Both the ensemble and the soloist played really well. The piece was commissioned for Benny Goodman and you can easily feel and hear Copland’s ear in framing the piece for him.

After intermission, Pulitzer Prize-winning (Anthracite Fields, 2015) Julia Wolfe’s piece began with an introduction set in the low strings that was rhythmic but not totally driving. There were repetitions of phrases, building of mild tensions, and returns to the initial rhythms, sometimes with rhythmic variations. While the piece didn’t really gel for me, there was a drone-sound section that neatly coincided with being able to see the International Space Station crossing the NYC sky—not your everyday concert experience!

The Ives also started out with a very quiet beginning that was so quiet that many in the audience didn’t realize the piece had actually begun. In fact, the quiet openings to all four of the pieces were a little too similar for my taste. Of interest to me, and others, was the juxtaposition of the ensemble onstage, a solo trumpet out in the house (house right), and a small contingent of woodwind players just off of the stage (house left). The piece was aptly slightly amorphous—hello! unanswered question—but once again beautiful and beautifully played. I already have the next four Naumburgs on my calendar. Kudos to WQXR, who will be broadcasting all of the concerts live, and to Jeff Spurgeon, who hosted with just the right mix of dignity, charm, and humor.

ConcertMeister