Lucian Rinando, flute; Sam Magill, cello; Babette Hierholzer, piano
Trio in G, for Flute, Cello & Piano, Hob. 15 – Allegro; Andante; Finale – Franz Joseph Haydn (1732–1809)
Trio in e minor, for Flute, Cello & Piano, Op. 45 – Allegro deciso; Andante; Scherzo; Finale–Presto – Louise Farrenc (1804–1875)
Particle 1, for Solo Cello (2016) (New York Premiere) – Prelude; Sarabande; Gigue; Elegy – Robert Chumbley (b. 1954)
Trio for Flute, Cello & Piano (1948) – Moderato; Adagio; Allegro spiritoso – Norman Dello Joio (1913–2008)
The first movement of the Haydn was gentle and pleasing, bright and cheerful, and somewhat lengthy, with several repeats taken. The second was simple and rather spare. Even when it became slightly more complicated, it retained that spare feeling. The third movement was fuller and jaunty, with a continued elegance.
As announced from the stage, Louise Farrenc was that rare example of a female composer who was published and performed in her lifetime. And she insisted on equal pay with the males being published at the time. The first movement was bold, then a bit introspective, and then quite bubbly. It presented some nice ideas but rambled a little. The second movement was slow and sad—really only a touch, though. After a dramatic section, it returned to its gentle beginnings. The scherzo was brisk and energetic and, after a contrasting calm section, finished with a flourish. The last movement was very full, quick but with a hefty feel to it, always moving forward, and playful though not frivolous.
We heard an interesting back story to Particle 1. The composer, who was there and spoke, was a classmate of the afternoon’s cellist. This piece was originally written for a different cellist who was also a classmate. That man premiered the piece and was slated to play its NY premiere, but suddenly died about a year and a half ago. And that is why Mr. Magill played it here. The work, meant to reflect on and complement the Bach solo cello sonatas, was three movements as originally written. The fourth, Elegy, was added as a tribute to the cellist the piece was composed for. I liked all of the movements which included techniques such as plucking and bowing the strings at the same time. The modern harmonies and techniques were interesting without going overboard. The third movement ended with a strong plucked open string. You could tell that it was the true finish. The Elegy that followed was calm and a bit plaintive, truly written and played as a tribute.
We learned from the stage that the Dello Joio was written in 1948 and that he won a Pulitzer Prize in 1957. This trio began with the flute and plucked strings on the cello, joined by the piano. The modern lines and harmonies were easy to listen to and had nice driving rhythms. The second movement began with the flute and piano, joined by the cello. It was calm, quiet and lyrical, then a bit brighter—even spiky at times—returning to calm at the end. The final movement had a quick, energetic, sort of perpetual motion opening, followed by a relaxing section that then returned to its high energy, bordering on frantic, and then a rush to the end. All in all, an enjoyable afternoon.
ConcertMeister
Thursday, June 29, 2017
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Lutosławski Quartet (6/22/17)
String Quartet – Introductory Movement; Main Movement –
Witold Lutosławski
String Quartet No. 3 – Paweł Mykietyn
String Quartet No. 4 – 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Movements –
Marcin Markowicz
This rather young Polish string quartet (established in 2007) played three Polish string quartets. The Lutosławski indeed had a very brief introductory movement that was essentially a solo for the first violin before segueing into the second, main, movement. Modern in style and harmonies, I didn’t really take too many notes. While I wasn’t turned off by it, I also wasn’t really moved by it either. In fact, I took very few notes at all about any of the pieces on the program.
The Mykietyn, as announced from the stage, was heavily influenced by the Lutosławski. If memory serves, the first violin acted as a metronome at the beginning—tapping his violin with his hand while the others entered and played on the strings of their instruments. At one time or another, each player used his instrument as a makeshift percussion instrument. The cellist even went so far as to tap on the end pin (the metal pin that balances the cello on the floor) with his bow. The entire work was interesting, if a little weird.
The Markowicz work was also influenced by Lutosławski. We know this because the composer told us so himself. Mr. Markowicz is the second violinist in the quartet—Bartos Woroch, violin; Marcin Markowicz, violin; Artur Rozmysłowicz, viola; Maciej Młodawski, cello. To me, the most interesting thing about the work was that each movement began in essentially the same way. Once again, the work was interesting but I wasn’t overwhelmed.
I probably would not seek out this group or any of the three works again but, as always, I find it interesting to hear works by living composers, especially when the composers are also present at the concert.
ConcertMeister
Witold Lutosławski
String Quartet No. 3 – Paweł Mykietyn
String Quartet No. 4 – 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Movements –
Marcin Markowicz
This rather young Polish string quartet (established in 2007) played three Polish string quartets. The Lutosławski indeed had a very brief introductory movement that was essentially a solo for the first violin before segueing into the second, main, movement. Modern in style and harmonies, I didn’t really take too many notes. While I wasn’t turned off by it, I also wasn’t really moved by it either. In fact, I took very few notes at all about any of the pieces on the program.
The Mykietyn, as announced from the stage, was heavily influenced by the Lutosławski. If memory serves, the first violin acted as a metronome at the beginning—tapping his violin with his hand while the others entered and played on the strings of their instruments. At one time or another, each player used his instrument as a makeshift percussion instrument. The cellist even went so far as to tap on the end pin (the metal pin that balances the cello on the floor) with his bow. The entire work was interesting, if a little weird.
The Markowicz work was also influenced by Lutosławski. We know this because the composer told us so himself. Mr. Markowicz is the second violinist in the quartet—Bartos Woroch, violin; Marcin Markowicz, violin; Artur Rozmysłowicz, viola; Maciej Młodawski, cello. To me, the most interesting thing about the work was that each movement began in essentially the same way. Once again, the work was interesting but I wasn’t overwhelmed.
I probably would not seek out this group or any of the three works again but, as always, I find it interesting to hear works by living composers, especially when the composers are also present at the concert.
ConcertMeister
Sunday, June 25, 2017
June Snippets
Jacqueline Jonée (6/12/17)
Make Music NY (6/21/17)
Jacqueline Jonée is referred to as the world’s premier concert pianist drag diva, a moniker that suits her just fine. Her recent appearance at the Library for the Performing Arts was a little more sparsely (is that an oxymoron?) attended than some I’ve seen, possibly because the main attraction was a viewing of the 2009 HD video A Date with Liberace, which was a program previously performed at LPA. As it turns out, that was OK by me, since that is one of her programs that I had never seen before. It’s a fun take on the life of Liberace with Ms. Jonée playing works associated with the flamboyant entertainer. It’s sort of a biopic touching on the history of Liberace as a performer through the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. And it turns out that Ms. Jonée met the great man twice (as Jacqueline or her real life alter ego, I’m not exactly sure). After the video, Ms. Jonée tickled the ivories of the Steinway grand piano with a couple of touching performances celebrating gay pride and the need for liberté, egalité, and justice for all!
Make Music NY is a semiannual event—June 21 (since 2006) and December 21 (since 2011)—that offers free concerts, as well as the opportunity to make music yourself, all day long by way of 1,000+ free concerts in public spaces in all five boroughs. Alas, this year it was a workday, so my choices of after work concerts were limited, but I managed to schedule three. And attend two—truth be told, only one and a half. At 5:00pm I attended the Art Song Preservation Society’s offering at the Bard Graduate Center on West 86th Street. The vocalists were amateurs who all had some degree of vocal training. As such, the quality varied quite a bit but it’s not every day you get to hear Ricky Ian Gordon songs (Stars, Joy) side by side with Bellini, William Schuman (Kiss Me Not Goodbye), and Kurt Weill (I’m a Stranger Here Myself). Plus a Japanese folk/art song. I left after forty minutes because I wanted to make sure to get to Bryant Park by 6:00pm. And I made it.
I heard a terrific male a cappella group, Cantus, who I have heard before. In this outdoor setting, using microphones, their sound was less focused and tight than I remembered but they still sang a heck of a performance. They started off with a nice rendition of There’s a Meetin’ Here Tonight, followed by a Dolly Parton song, Jolene, with one of the group’s basses adding guitar accompaniment. Have you gathered yet their song selection was eclectic? After a suitably tear-inducing (yeah, I’m that much of a sap) Danny Boy, a set followed that included Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors. A mini-Beatles set followed, in honor of the 50th anniversary of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. They Got by, serenaded Lucy in the Sky, and asked that oh so important question, to me, at the crux of When I’m 64. Just before we heard Imagine, we learned that Yoko Ono has just been officially added to the writing credits for the song. They also included a Sweet Honey in the Rock tune before closing out with some of their more contemporary classical and classical pieces, but hearing their approach to the less-than-classical pieces made me appreciate this Minnesota-based vocal ensemble even more.
I was concerned that a group accordion event scheduled for 7:00pm in Bryant Park might interfere with the afterglow of the Cantus performance. I never saw the accordionists, and since a second accordion event was not scheduled to begin until 8:00pm, I bagged it and went home. But I’ll be looking for Make Music NY on December 21 and next June 21. I might even take days off from work to experience more free music.
ConcertMeister
Make Music NY (6/21/17)
Jacqueline Jonée is referred to as the world’s premier concert pianist drag diva, a moniker that suits her just fine. Her recent appearance at the Library for the Performing Arts was a little more sparsely (is that an oxymoron?) attended than some I’ve seen, possibly because the main attraction was a viewing of the 2009 HD video A Date with Liberace, which was a program previously performed at LPA. As it turns out, that was OK by me, since that is one of her programs that I had never seen before. It’s a fun take on the life of Liberace with Ms. Jonée playing works associated with the flamboyant entertainer. It’s sort of a biopic touching on the history of Liberace as a performer through the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. And it turns out that Ms. Jonée met the great man twice (as Jacqueline or her real life alter ego, I’m not exactly sure). After the video, Ms. Jonée tickled the ivories of the Steinway grand piano with a couple of touching performances celebrating gay pride and the need for liberté, egalité, and justice for all!
Make Music NY is a semiannual event—June 21 (since 2006) and December 21 (since 2011)—that offers free concerts, as well as the opportunity to make music yourself, all day long by way of 1,000+ free concerts in public spaces in all five boroughs. Alas, this year it was a workday, so my choices of after work concerts were limited, but I managed to schedule three. And attend two—truth be told, only one and a half. At 5:00pm I attended the Art Song Preservation Society’s offering at the Bard Graduate Center on West 86th Street. The vocalists were amateurs who all had some degree of vocal training. As such, the quality varied quite a bit but it’s not every day you get to hear Ricky Ian Gordon songs (Stars, Joy) side by side with Bellini, William Schuman (Kiss Me Not Goodbye), and Kurt Weill (I’m a Stranger Here Myself). Plus a Japanese folk/art song. I left after forty minutes because I wanted to make sure to get to Bryant Park by 6:00pm. And I made it.
I heard a terrific male a cappella group, Cantus, who I have heard before. In this outdoor setting, using microphones, their sound was less focused and tight than I remembered but they still sang a heck of a performance. They started off with a nice rendition of There’s a Meetin’ Here Tonight, followed by a Dolly Parton song, Jolene, with one of the group’s basses adding guitar accompaniment. Have you gathered yet their song selection was eclectic? After a suitably tear-inducing (yeah, I’m that much of a sap) Danny Boy, a set followed that included Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors. A mini-Beatles set followed, in honor of the 50th anniversary of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. They Got by, serenaded Lucy in the Sky, and asked that oh so important question, to me, at the crux of When I’m 64. Just before we heard Imagine, we learned that Yoko Ono has just been officially added to the writing credits for the song. They also included a Sweet Honey in the Rock tune before closing out with some of their more contemporary classical and classical pieces, but hearing their approach to the less-than-classical pieces made me appreciate this Minnesota-based vocal ensemble even more.
I was concerned that a group accordion event scheduled for 7:00pm in Bryant Park might interfere with the afterglow of the Cantus performance. I never saw the accordionists, and since a second accordion event was not scheduled to begin until 8:00pm, I bagged it and went home. But I’ll be looking for Make Music NY on December 21 and next June 21. I might even take days off from work to experience more free music.
ConcertMeister
Sunday, June 18, 2017
Naumburg Orchestral Concerts (6/13/17)
Havana Lyceum Orchestra
José Antonio Méndez Padrón, conductor
Simone Dinnerstein, piano
Punto y Tonadas (1980–1981) – Carlos Fariñas (1934–2002)
Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K. 467 (1765) ‘Elvira Madigan’ – I. Allegro maestoso; II. Andante; III. Allegro vivace assai – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)
Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488 (1786) – I. Allegro; II. Adagio;
III. Allegro assai – Mozart
Appalachian Spring (1944) – Aaron Copland (1900–1990)
OK, how cool was this? (Actually, it was really hot and muggy, but I digress.) Tuesday evening was the opening concert of Naumburg’s 112th season and it featured the United States debut of the Havana Lyceum Orchestra. As always, the concert was also broadcast live on WQXR, with Jeff Spurgeon as the host for this one.
The Fariñas was dance-like, with open-sounding scoring, not surprising since the composer also studied with Aaron Copland. There was a cello?/viola? solo line interspersed with string orchestra writing. Then each upper string section of the orchestra was treated as soloist, and this compositional idea was repeated. A little too often as far as I was concerned but I liked the piece, in general.
The first movement of the first Mozart concerto was gentle and sweet, and adding brass and winds to the string orchestra from the first piece seemed to bolster the sound of the strings. I learned at the intermission that the microphones on stage were also being engineered, in terms of sound. It was done well, except for the fact that I was aware of it. The entrance of the piano was actually a part of the extended intro to the movement. There was a very nice balance between orchestra and soloist, leading to a sort of dreamy/bluesy cadenza culminating in fancy finger work. The second movement opened with a well-known (to me, at least) theme—hence the Elvira Madigan moniker? (I don’t really know the movie.) The music was sweet for both piano and orchestra, but not cloying. An aside here—it was about this time in the evening I noticed that the half-dome of the bandshell was gently lit. It’s such a nice little treat to see and be aware of. The final movement was brisk and bold from the orchestra, followed by the piano, just as brisk and bold. Then there was just theme after theme, cute and interesting, laid out one after the other, some fleshed out quite nicely. All in all, very enjoyable.
Now take a moment to go back to the top of the post, and compare the movements of the first Mozart concerto to the movements of the second Mozart concerto. They’re very similar, right? And while I don’t actually hate Mozart, he’s not one of my favorites because of this similarity which seems, to me, to be on display a lot. OK, off of my soap box now. The first movement was familiar, but not overly so. It had a lengthy orchestral intro followed by the piano with nice tunes, nicely played (see first movement, above). The second movement had the piano from the start, and when the orchestra joined, it was with a fuller sound, with different ideas and a better flow of ideas. Perhaps this was a more mature Mozart. The third movement, with its brisk tempo, was also fuller and bolder that its predecessor. Did it win me over? Almost.
An interesting note about the Appalachian Spring that followed. This orchestra was made up of very young people, and this was their first exposure to this work by
Mr. Copland (which includes the ubiquitous Simple Gifts theme). There was an extended calm opening followed by an introduction to bolder writing and rhythms. It also featured the open writing style that is associated with Copland—think of chords where there is a lot of space between the individual notes. Taken as a whole, the work is a little too amorphous for me, as in, the different sections didn’t quite link together. Ms. Dinnerstein was also the orchestral pianist for this work and, in fact, it was because she heard this orchestra when she was in Cuba, that she determined to bring this cultural institution to the United States. And that’s the only political thing I will say about it.
ConcertMeister
José Antonio Méndez Padrón, conductor
Simone Dinnerstein, piano
Punto y Tonadas (1980–1981) – Carlos Fariñas (1934–2002)
Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K. 467 (1765) ‘Elvira Madigan’ – I. Allegro maestoso; II. Andante; III. Allegro vivace assai – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)
Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488 (1786) – I. Allegro; II. Adagio;
III. Allegro assai – Mozart
Appalachian Spring (1944) – Aaron Copland (1900–1990)
OK, how cool was this? (Actually, it was really hot and muggy, but I digress.) Tuesday evening was the opening concert of Naumburg’s 112th season and it featured the United States debut of the Havana Lyceum Orchestra. As always, the concert was also broadcast live on WQXR, with Jeff Spurgeon as the host for this one.
The Fariñas was dance-like, with open-sounding scoring, not surprising since the composer also studied with Aaron Copland. There was a cello?/viola? solo line interspersed with string orchestra writing. Then each upper string section of the orchestra was treated as soloist, and this compositional idea was repeated. A little too often as far as I was concerned but I liked the piece, in general.
The first movement of the first Mozart concerto was gentle and sweet, and adding brass and winds to the string orchestra from the first piece seemed to bolster the sound of the strings. I learned at the intermission that the microphones on stage were also being engineered, in terms of sound. It was done well, except for the fact that I was aware of it. The entrance of the piano was actually a part of the extended intro to the movement. There was a very nice balance between orchestra and soloist, leading to a sort of dreamy/bluesy cadenza culminating in fancy finger work. The second movement opened with a well-known (to me, at least) theme—hence the Elvira Madigan moniker? (I don’t really know the movie.) The music was sweet for both piano and orchestra, but not cloying. An aside here—it was about this time in the evening I noticed that the half-dome of the bandshell was gently lit. It’s such a nice little treat to see and be aware of. The final movement was brisk and bold from the orchestra, followed by the piano, just as brisk and bold. Then there was just theme after theme, cute and interesting, laid out one after the other, some fleshed out quite nicely. All in all, very enjoyable.
Now take a moment to go back to the top of the post, and compare the movements of the first Mozart concerto to the movements of the second Mozart concerto. They’re very similar, right? And while I don’t actually hate Mozart, he’s not one of my favorites because of this similarity which seems, to me, to be on display a lot. OK, off of my soap box now. The first movement was familiar, but not overly so. It had a lengthy orchestral intro followed by the piano with nice tunes, nicely played (see first movement, above). The second movement had the piano from the start, and when the orchestra joined, it was with a fuller sound, with different ideas and a better flow of ideas. Perhaps this was a more mature Mozart. The third movement, with its brisk tempo, was also fuller and bolder that its predecessor. Did it win me over? Almost.
An interesting note about the Appalachian Spring that followed. This orchestra was made up of very young people, and this was their first exposure to this work by
Mr. Copland (which includes the ubiquitous Simple Gifts theme). There was an extended calm opening followed by an introduction to bolder writing and rhythms. It also featured the open writing style that is associated with Copland—think of chords where there is a lot of space between the individual notes. Taken as a whole, the work is a little too amorphous for me, as in, the different sections didn’t quite link together. Ms. Dinnerstein was also the orchestral pianist for this work and, in fact, it was because she heard this orchestra when she was in Cuba, that she determined to bring this cultural institution to the United States. And that’s the only political thing I will say about it.
ConcertMeister
Thursday, June 8, 2017
Midday Masterpieces (6/7/17)
Verona Quartet – Jonathan Ong, violin; Dorothy Ro, violin;
Abigail Rojansky, viola; Warren Hagerty, cello
String Quartet No. 7 – Allegretto; Lento; Allegro – Allegretto – [Adagio] – Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975)
String Quartet in F Major – Allegro moderato – très doux; Assez vif –
très rhythmé; Très lent; Vif et agité – Maurice Ravel (1875–1937)
Yes, two gentlemen form Verona, along with two ladies. (I couldn’t help myself!) This concert was the last in WQXR’s inaugural season of Midday Masterpieces, a joint venture with the Juilliard School, in which Juilliard students present an hour-long (ish) concert in the Jerome L. Greene performance/broadcast studio. I attended all of this season’s except one. This concert was played very well by this young quartet. As a background note, there is no printed program for these concerts, so I did internet searching for movement names and composers’ dates. My notes from the concert were written before I knew the movement names (or even the number of movements) but I’ve decided to present my notes pretty much as is, so some redundancy may be evident.
The Shostakovich had a simple opening that stayed relatively simple even as it expanded. That expansion included fuller, rhythmic sounds and lots of short rhythmic phrases interspersed with a few long lines, at times mysterious sounding. A louder, faster section was compelling. Though it might have seemed angry at times, it really wasn’t—I found that it pulled me in as a listener. I queried myself as to whether the work was through composed. Not exactly. In my limited reading about the piece, I learned that even though there are the three distinct movements, they are to be played without a break.
The violist introduced the Ravel and told of how it essentially rounded up the biggies of French Impressionist composing (though many of them eschewed that moniker). The structure of the work was based on the shape of a Claude Debussy quartet, and Ravel’s piece was dedicated to Gabriel Fauré, who was Debussy’s teacher. Not a bad pedigree. The first movement was gentle and seemed almost lush after the somewhat harsher tonalities of the Shostakovich. It seemed to be trying to paint actual aural pictures and was pretty, though still using modern harmonies. It had a nice mix of tempos as well as both anxiously rhythmic and smooth legato phrases. The brisk pizzicato opening of the second movement was followed by a mix of rhythmic tunes and more pizzicato playing. Always moving forward, it then had a legato section with lovely tunes, even if some of them had a slightly darker cast.
The third movement was misterioso in a gentle, embracing way, with touches of hopeful brightness demonstrated by strong cello lines with the other three voices providing shimmering, ethereal sounds. The fourth movement started off presto and never looked back. It was much more modern in style in an abrupt change from the previous movement. Though there were a few slightly more lyrical sections, it was hard to see the connections between the two styles. They were there, even if it seemed as though they shouldn’t work. It turns out that, as we learned before hearing the piece, Debussy loved the entire work but Fauré hated the final movement. I can almost understand why.
The season is expected to kick off again in, I believe, September. Considering that it’s always the first Wednesday of the month, we’ll see if that’s the case. Maybe October? I plan to be there and will keep you posted.
ConcertMeister
Abigail Rojansky, viola; Warren Hagerty, cello
String Quartet No. 7 – Allegretto; Lento; Allegro – Allegretto – [Adagio] – Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975)
String Quartet in F Major – Allegro moderato – très doux; Assez vif –
très rhythmé; Très lent; Vif et agité – Maurice Ravel (1875–1937)
Yes, two gentlemen form Verona, along with two ladies. (I couldn’t help myself!) This concert was the last in WQXR’s inaugural season of Midday Masterpieces, a joint venture with the Juilliard School, in which Juilliard students present an hour-long (ish) concert in the Jerome L. Greene performance/broadcast studio. I attended all of this season’s except one. This concert was played very well by this young quartet. As a background note, there is no printed program for these concerts, so I did internet searching for movement names and composers’ dates. My notes from the concert were written before I knew the movement names (or even the number of movements) but I’ve decided to present my notes pretty much as is, so some redundancy may be evident.
The Shostakovich had a simple opening that stayed relatively simple even as it expanded. That expansion included fuller, rhythmic sounds and lots of short rhythmic phrases interspersed with a few long lines, at times mysterious sounding. A louder, faster section was compelling. Though it might have seemed angry at times, it really wasn’t—I found that it pulled me in as a listener. I queried myself as to whether the work was through composed. Not exactly. In my limited reading about the piece, I learned that even though there are the three distinct movements, they are to be played without a break.
The violist introduced the Ravel and told of how it essentially rounded up the biggies of French Impressionist composing (though many of them eschewed that moniker). The structure of the work was based on the shape of a Claude Debussy quartet, and Ravel’s piece was dedicated to Gabriel Fauré, who was Debussy’s teacher. Not a bad pedigree. The first movement was gentle and seemed almost lush after the somewhat harsher tonalities of the Shostakovich. It seemed to be trying to paint actual aural pictures and was pretty, though still using modern harmonies. It had a nice mix of tempos as well as both anxiously rhythmic and smooth legato phrases. The brisk pizzicato opening of the second movement was followed by a mix of rhythmic tunes and more pizzicato playing. Always moving forward, it then had a legato section with lovely tunes, even if some of them had a slightly darker cast.
The third movement was misterioso in a gentle, embracing way, with touches of hopeful brightness demonstrated by strong cello lines with the other three voices providing shimmering, ethereal sounds. The fourth movement started off presto and never looked back. It was much more modern in style in an abrupt change from the previous movement. Though there were a few slightly more lyrical sections, it was hard to see the connections between the two styles. They were there, even if it seemed as though they shouldn’t work. It turns out that, as we learned before hearing the piece, Debussy loved the entire work but Fauré hated the final movement. I can almost understand why.
The season is expected to kick off again in, I believe, September. Considering that it’s always the first Wednesday of the month, we’ll see if that’s the case. Maybe October? I plan to be there and will keep you posted.
ConcertMeister
Monday, June 5, 2017
The Flowering Viola (5/28/17
Jonah Sirota, viola; Regina Brady, oboe; Ben Larsen, cello;
Jo-Ann Sternberg, clarinet; Molly Morkoski, piano
Morpheus for viola and piano (1917) – Rebecca Clarke (1886–1979)
Elegy for a Lost World for viola and piano (2017 – NY Premiere) –
Robert Sirota (b. 1949)
Violin Sonata (1955) – I. Poco andante; II. Allegro non troppo –
Bohuslav Martinů (1890–1959)
Lullaby and Grotesque for viola and cello (1916) – I. Lullaby; II. Grotesque – Rebecca Clarke
Two Rhapsodies for oboe, viola, and cello (1901) – I. L’Étang; II. La Cornemuse – Charles Martin Loeffler (1861–1935)
Pieces for Viola Clarinet, and Piano, Op. 83 (1910) – II. Allegro con moto;
V. Rumanische melody. Andante; I. Andante; IV. Allegro agitato – Max Bruch (1838–1920)
This was a concert produced under the auspices of the fledgling Concerts on the Slope series. Check them out.
So much music, so much to comment on. The opening Morpheus was tuneful and gentle—slightly modern but easy to listen to, with a mix of a Romantic feel, and hints of Debussy-esque writing. Interestingly, when it was premiered in 1918, it was attributed to ‘Anthony Trent’, since Miss Clarke thought that her name was too prominent in the listed program as both composer and violist. Mr. Trent got a nice notice, as a composer, in the review. Miss Clarke did not!
Elegy was lovingly written by a father for his son—there was a mix of modern harmonies, somewhat discordant, sometimes gentle, sometimes not. The mix worked pretty well, though. ConcertMeister
After re-tuning (violas seem to be famous for that), the Martinů had grand gestures at the beginning but then a calmer ending for the first movement. The second movement was very brisk and active, before also calming down just a little bit at the end.
Lullaby and Grotesque was (i) warm and peaceful, yet also with a strong presence, and charming; and (ii) lively and somewhat dramatic, bold and energetic with a bit of a filip at the end. The Loeffler started low in the viola’s range, followed by rippling phrases for viola, oboe, and piano. With a good interplay between all three, it had a lively and playful feel followed by a bit of a mournful ending to the first movement. The second movement wandered from section to section, but was quite pretty enough at times.
The Bruch was an homage to Schubert, who also wrote for viola, clarinet, and piano. The four (of eight) movements that we heard were somewhat dark and dramatic, as well as moody; dark, slightly subdued, with a feeling of hope followed by a dramatic interlude, and then a calmer section as an ending; contemplative but not quite gentle, morphing into truly gentle and quiet; and ending very brisk and energetic, even in quieter sections, and then a bang-up finish.
ConcertMeister
Jo-Ann Sternberg, clarinet; Molly Morkoski, piano
Morpheus for viola and piano (1917) – Rebecca Clarke (1886–1979)
Elegy for a Lost World for viola and piano (2017 – NY Premiere) –
Robert Sirota (b. 1949)
Violin Sonata (1955) – I. Poco andante; II. Allegro non troppo –
Bohuslav Martinů (1890–1959)
Lullaby and Grotesque for viola and cello (1916) – I. Lullaby; II. Grotesque – Rebecca Clarke
Two Rhapsodies for oboe, viola, and cello (1901) – I. L’Étang; II. La Cornemuse – Charles Martin Loeffler (1861–1935)
Pieces for Viola Clarinet, and Piano, Op. 83 (1910) – II. Allegro con moto;
V. Rumanische melody. Andante; I. Andante; IV. Allegro agitato – Max Bruch (1838–1920)
This was a concert produced under the auspices of the fledgling Concerts on the Slope series. Check them out.
So much music, so much to comment on. The opening Morpheus was tuneful and gentle—slightly modern but easy to listen to, with a mix of a Romantic feel, and hints of Debussy-esque writing. Interestingly, when it was premiered in 1918, it was attributed to ‘Anthony Trent’, since Miss Clarke thought that her name was too prominent in the listed program as both composer and violist. Mr. Trent got a nice notice, as a composer, in the review. Miss Clarke did not!
Elegy was lovingly written by a father for his son—there was a mix of modern harmonies, somewhat discordant, sometimes gentle, sometimes not. The mix worked pretty well, though. ConcertMeister
After re-tuning (violas seem to be famous for that), the Martinů had grand gestures at the beginning but then a calmer ending for the first movement. The second movement was very brisk and active, before also calming down just a little bit at the end.
Lullaby and Grotesque was (i) warm and peaceful, yet also with a strong presence, and charming; and (ii) lively and somewhat dramatic, bold and energetic with a bit of a filip at the end. The Loeffler started low in the viola’s range, followed by rippling phrases for viola, oboe, and piano. With a good interplay between all three, it had a lively and playful feel followed by a bit of a mournful ending to the first movement. The second movement wandered from section to section, but was quite pretty enough at times.
The Bruch was an homage to Schubert, who also wrote for viola, clarinet, and piano. The four (of eight) movements that we heard were somewhat dark and dramatic, as well as moody; dark, slightly subdued, with a feeling of hope followed by a dramatic interlude, and then a calmer section as an ending; contemplative but not quite gentle, morphing into truly gentle and quiet; and ending very brisk and energetic, even in quieter sections, and then a bang-up finish.
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