Ensemble LPR
Lara St. John, violin
Starburst (2012) – Jessie Montgomery (1981–)
The Lark Ascending (1920) – Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958)
Maralinga (US Premiere) – Matthew Hindson (1968–)
Concerto in E-flat, “Dumbarton Oaks” (1937–1938) – Igor Stravinsky
(1882–1971)
Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, Op. 10 (1936) – Benjamin Britten (1913–1976)
First, some housekeeping. LPR = (Le) Poisson Rouge (their punctuation, not mine), a chic downtown classical venue that used to be a classic chic downtown venue. I’ve never been. Probably never will. That said, they are damn fine musicians. Also, the sound balances took a while for the kinks to be worked out. Starburst was a pleasant enough opening, for string orchestra, that had rhythmic variations and a modern feel while still being listenable. I wanted a little more burst from my starburst.
Ms. St. John joined the strings for the Vaughan Williams and there was a nice interplay with the soloist and orchestra. A second theme was sort of a call and response. In some cases, the orchestra was a wash of color supporting the solo violin; at other times they were equal partners. Some of it was hard to hear. In fact, after the RVW a techie adjusted the amplification of Ms. St. John’s violin.
The Hindson was much more modern, opening with a bit of a bang followed by an extended violin solo. As in the Vaughan Williams, Ms. St. John gave orchestral cues for specific entrances while she was playing. (The entire concert was performed sans conductor.) One section was rather harsh and somewhat primal, hinting at the darker side of Stravinsky. On the whole, it was not very easy to follow, or know when it actually ended. This one will not make my Top 10 list.
Speaking of the darker side of Stravinsky, Dumbarton Oaks is not it. Composed for the 30th anniversary of a couple and premiered for their party at their Washington, DC estate, it was modern sounding but certainly not so much as compared to other primitive-aspect Stravinsky and certainly not as compared to the earlier Montgomery or Hindson. It was really quite tuneful in its own way while continuing the rhythmic drive often associated with Stravinsky. The winds and brass were added for this work, and the winds featured a little more prominently in a second section that was gentle yet still bouncy. Even with its inherent primitive rhythms, lively easy-to-listen-to tunes, and mild dissonances, the piece chugged along to a very successful conclusion.
The Britten has eleven movements. When looking at the program, I decided to not comment on each one. As it turns out, I ended up writing about each movement—whether or not I include all of my notes remains to be seen. Oh, hell—stream of consciousness, here I come. (i) The most tuneful beginning of the evening, with a pastoral, English feel; (ii) gentle and pleasant; (iii) quicker, but not urgent, and bright; (iv) lyrical waltz tempo with just a touch of melancholy; (v) a bit of drama (homage à Rossini), with a touch of humor, too; (vi) sturdy dance feel yet still with graceful hints of Bach; (vii) almost poking fun at a Viennese waltz, though adding respect and a few twists; (viii) busy buzzy strings, plus a rhythmic section; (ix) open strings with a slightly ominous bass rhythm—the movement (longest?) was, oddly, very moving; (x) the most modern, but seeming to recall fragments of back-and-forth chat, as a theme; (xi) a brisk intro followed by more of a sense of fugue than an actual fugue—with touches of earlier perpetual motion and earlier lyricism followed by a calm, almost stately section.
What a perfect way to end a great concert on a lovely early summer evening.
ConcertMeister
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