OK, this was an art installation with a musical component at the event. The paintings were mostly thick slabs of acrylic black paint smeared across the canvas. But … there were a few splashes of color and a few defined uses of color.
This event was highlighting M. Soulages’ centenary. He is still alive and, with any luck, will be attending his upcoming solo show at the Louvre. His painting style was not quite my cup of tea but, hey—that’s what makes a horse race.
The event I attended featured the world premiere of a piece (commissioned by the Lévy Gorvy gallery) composed by Anthony Vine. And Mr. Vine was there for the premiere. It was played by The Rhythm Method, an all-female string quartet that, according to their own website, is “fierce, fearless, and virtuosic … unapologetically stylistically omnivorous and versatile.” Works for me.
The music was pretty much static. It began with all players playing a unison note (maybe an octave involved?). We then went to harmonics added—notes played very close to the other notes, but not half-steps or whole-steps, These were micro-steps, so that the sound was almost grating on the ear. It created a wall of sound, although a relatively gentle one.
What followed was a duo for violins, the viola added, and then the cello. This exact pattern repeated a second time. It was mesmerizing, though without really grabbing my interest, sounding like the kind of thing that is made up on the spot—but I’m pretty sure it was carefully notated in the score. The aforementioned repeated pattern was repeated yet again. In its favor, when the volume increased, it seemed much more insistent. But that didn’t amount to too much.
One nice thing about these art gallery performances is the inclusion of wine. White wine went well with the white noise. (In this case, one could have chosen sparkling water, but did I mention white wine?)
Kudos to the gallery for presenting an event with an artistic (on several levels) focus.
ConcertMeister
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
L’Amore della Musica (10/5/19)
Cecilia Sparacio, flute; Arianna Kalian, oboe; Simeon Loring, clarinet; Nancy Vizza, horn; Lori Brand, bassoon; David See, piano
Allegro con moto from Quintet No. 1, Op. 18 – Felix Mendelssohn/
Loring (1809–1847)
Concertino for Clarinet – I. Grave; II. Allegro molto; III. Adagio; IV. Allegro risoluto – Giuseppe Tartini/Loring (1692–1770)
Sciarda Spagnuola – I. Entrata; II. Pavanne; III. Gagliarda; IV. Passamezzo;
V. Frottola; VI. Finale – Juriann Andriessen (1925–1996)
Divertissement, Op.6, Sextet for piano and winds – Albert Roussel (1869–1937)
Quintet in E-flat, Op. 16, for piano and winds – I. Grave – Allegro, ma non troppo; II. Andante cantabile; III. Rondo: Allegro, ma non troppo – Ludvig van Beethoven (1770–1827)
First off, L’Amore is a wind quintet. Yes. There is a horn there, which is brass, and yes, there is a flute there which is some sort of metal. But they comprise a woodwind quintet—I don’t make the rules, I merely play by them. Mr. See, on the piano, was a bonus player, and a very good one at that.
The Mendelssohn/Loring (see Loring, above) was charming, with an interesting staccato theme (think tap-tap-tap-tap-tap) that got tossed around to all five players in the quintet. It was a fun movement but it did tend to go on and on.
The Tartini was cobbled together by Mr. Loring from different movements of different pieces written by Signore Tartini. The first movement was slow and almost plodding while the second was brisk and bright, with the clarinet featured much more prominently. The third was slow again but with more charm than the first movement. The final movement was jaunty, with repetitive phrases that were almost like a theme and variations.
While I didn’t get too much of a hint of Spanish flair, the first movement of the Andriessen was much more modern, rhythmic, and very brief. The second was gentle, yet still intricate and interesting, and the third was full of fun rhythms, with touches of humor. The fourth movement was sweet. It had a contrasting section that still maintained the sweetness. The fifth was brisk, but with a certain heft to it. The Finale was very similar to the Entrata and rounded out the piece nicely.
Adding the piano to the wind quintet was a very nice touch. It created fuller music that still highlighted the quirky quality of the wind quintet. The Roussel started with solo piano and then added the oboe and then the clarinet, and then everyone jumped into the mix. It was somewhat modern but listenable, and at times reminded me of Debussy (though it made its own statement). An interesting touch—at times the horn played with a mute inserted into the bell of the horn, giving it a somewhat buzzy sound. The entire piece was playful at times without going overboard.
The Beethoven quintet (alas the flutist was demoted to page turner for the pianist) opened with the instruments playing in unison/octaves, followed by a brief flash of solo piano. My notes say that there was a slight sense of dark drama, and that the first movement was pleasant but felt a little too long. The second movement had a fairly lengthy piano opening and then all of the players joined in. In general, it was slower and calmer and seemed a bit lengthy, as in, did not really hold my interest. The final movement was quicker but not frantic at all. There was a very nice interplay between the piano and the winds.
Was this stellar playing? Not exactly. Was this a nice afternoon of varied music? Exactly. I’d say this group is worth another revisit. I think my last post about them was in 2015. Age is showing with them (and with me) but there’s still a lot on offer.
ConcertMeister
Allegro con moto from Quintet No. 1, Op. 18 – Felix Mendelssohn/
Loring (1809–1847)
Concertino for Clarinet – I. Grave; II. Allegro molto; III. Adagio; IV. Allegro risoluto – Giuseppe Tartini/Loring (1692–1770)
Sciarda Spagnuola – I. Entrata; II. Pavanne; III. Gagliarda; IV. Passamezzo;
V. Frottola; VI. Finale – Juriann Andriessen (1925–1996)
Divertissement, Op.6, Sextet for piano and winds – Albert Roussel (1869–1937)
Quintet in E-flat, Op. 16, for piano and winds – I. Grave – Allegro, ma non troppo; II. Andante cantabile; III. Rondo: Allegro, ma non troppo – Ludvig van Beethoven (1770–1827)
First off, L’Amore is a wind quintet. Yes. There is a horn there, which is brass, and yes, there is a flute there which is some sort of metal. But they comprise a woodwind quintet—I don’t make the rules, I merely play by them. Mr. See, on the piano, was a bonus player, and a very good one at that.
The Mendelssohn/Loring (see Loring, above) was charming, with an interesting staccato theme (think tap-tap-tap-tap-tap) that got tossed around to all five players in the quintet. It was a fun movement but it did tend to go on and on.
The Tartini was cobbled together by Mr. Loring from different movements of different pieces written by Signore Tartini. The first movement was slow and almost plodding while the second was brisk and bright, with the clarinet featured much more prominently. The third was slow again but with more charm than the first movement. The final movement was jaunty, with repetitive phrases that were almost like a theme and variations.
While I didn’t get too much of a hint of Spanish flair, the first movement of the Andriessen was much more modern, rhythmic, and very brief. The second was gentle, yet still intricate and interesting, and the third was full of fun rhythms, with touches of humor. The fourth movement was sweet. It had a contrasting section that still maintained the sweetness. The fifth was brisk, but with a certain heft to it. The Finale was very similar to the Entrata and rounded out the piece nicely.
Adding the piano to the wind quintet was a very nice touch. It created fuller music that still highlighted the quirky quality of the wind quintet. The Roussel started with solo piano and then added the oboe and then the clarinet, and then everyone jumped into the mix. It was somewhat modern but listenable, and at times reminded me of Debussy (though it made its own statement). An interesting touch—at times the horn played with a mute inserted into the bell of the horn, giving it a somewhat buzzy sound. The entire piece was playful at times without going overboard.
The Beethoven quintet (alas the flutist was demoted to page turner for the pianist) opened with the instruments playing in unison/octaves, followed by a brief flash of solo piano. My notes say that there was a slight sense of dark drama, and that the first movement was pleasant but felt a little too long. The second movement had a fairly lengthy piano opening and then all of the players joined in. In general, it was slower and calmer and seemed a bit lengthy, as in, did not really hold my interest. The final movement was quicker but not frantic at all. There was a very nice interplay between the piano and the winds.
Was this stellar playing? Not exactly. Was this a nice afternoon of varied music? Exactly. I’d say this group is worth another revisit. I think my last post about them was in 2015. Age is showing with them (and with me) but there’s still a lot on offer.
ConcertMeister
Sunday, October 6, 2019
Midday Masterpieces (10/2/19)
Kate Liu, piano
Mazurkas, Op. 59 – Frédéric Chopin
Arabeske, Op. 18 – Robert Schumann
Fantasie, Op. 17 – R. Schumann
I wanted to like this better than I did. Alas, that was not the case. First off, this was the first Midday Masterpieces of the new season. And Ms. Liu played well. Just … oddly. As some of you may know, I do not write reviews—I write my reactions to the free and low cost concerts I attend. Ms. Liu’s performance demeanor straddles both lines. She is a very sensitive pianist. Before beginning a piece, she … calms herself … prepares herself … and then begins. That actually carries over into her playing.
The first Chopin mazurka was gentle and almost dainty to begin with, though it did build in volume and intensity. The minor key made it seem almost maudlin, at times. The second was more cheerful. But also had a mix of delicate paired with a bit of bombast. The third, also in a minor key, was full of fire and energy. Was there a fourth? Was it just a coda to the third mazurka? I need to explore. OK, Op. 59 only has three mazurkas. The pause … before the end of the piece … confused me.
Schumann’s Arabeske began with feathery, rippling writing. There was a contrasting section with a touch of sadness that was perhaps more moody than sad, followed by a brief martial section that then seemed to segue into the Fantasie. There appeared to be a very slow introduction, followed by a section that was very powerful. Still, there were sections that were, at times, delicate and rippling at others. I did not understand how they were connected. My notes actually say that the playing (not the piece) was somewhat segmented, almost to the point of feeling scattered. I wondered to myself whether this was a series of scenes. (Nothing that I could find in quick researching.) I know you’ll find this hard to believe (not) but a PHONE rang during a very quiet section of the piece (and, yes, there was an announcement from the stage before the concert). Overall, and mostly because of the playing style, I did not get a sense of the piece as a whole.
Ms. Liu is talented but didn’t present a firm, cohesive program. Sorry for veering into review-dom.
ConcertMeister
Mazurkas, Op. 59 – Frédéric Chopin
Arabeske, Op. 18 – Robert Schumann
Fantasie, Op. 17 – R. Schumann
I wanted to like this better than I did. Alas, that was not the case. First off, this was the first Midday Masterpieces of the new season. And Ms. Liu played well. Just … oddly. As some of you may know, I do not write reviews—I write my reactions to the free and low cost concerts I attend. Ms. Liu’s performance demeanor straddles both lines. She is a very sensitive pianist. Before beginning a piece, she … calms herself … prepares herself … and then begins. That actually carries over into her playing.
The first Chopin mazurka was gentle and almost dainty to begin with, though it did build in volume and intensity. The minor key made it seem almost maudlin, at times. The second was more cheerful. But also had a mix of delicate paired with a bit of bombast. The third, also in a minor key, was full of fire and energy. Was there a fourth? Was it just a coda to the third mazurka? I need to explore. OK, Op. 59 only has three mazurkas. The pause … before the end of the piece … confused me.
Schumann’s Arabeske began with feathery, rippling writing. There was a contrasting section with a touch of sadness that was perhaps more moody than sad, followed by a brief martial section that then seemed to segue into the Fantasie. There appeared to be a very slow introduction, followed by a section that was very powerful. Still, there were sections that were, at times, delicate and rippling at others. I did not understand how they were connected. My notes actually say that the playing (not the piece) was somewhat segmented, almost to the point of feeling scattered. I wondered to myself whether this was a series of scenes. (Nothing that I could find in quick researching.) I know you’ll find this hard to believe (not) but a PHONE rang during a very quiet section of the piece (and, yes, there was an announcement from the stage before the concert). Overall, and mostly because of the playing style, I did not get a sense of the piece as a whole.
Ms. Liu is talented but didn’t present a firm, cohesive program. Sorry for veering into review-dom.
ConcertMeister
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