BOSTON CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY: Beethoven Birthday Concert
Personnel: Randall Hodgkinson – piano, Ani Kavafian – violin, Mihae Lee – piano, Ronald Thomas – violoncello
December 17, 2006
Ronald Thomas introduced this Beethoven Birthday concert, which included three of Beethoven's greatest chamber works. A full house at the lovely First Church Congregational in Cambridge eagerly awaited the concert.
The Cello Sonata in A major, Opus 19, opened the program with sonorous cello texture joined by subtle and elegant piano playing. The principal melody appeared thoughtfully, weighing passion against tentativeness. The cello playing was pitched directly to the heart and viscera! Though the piano was nicely phrased, Mihae Lee's playing occasionally overpowered the cello. In the Scherzo:Allegro molto, the duo showed a fine combination of muted energy, allowing full expression of profound emotion and contrapuntal melodies. The Scherzo was played more rapidly than is sometimes the case. The piano here was mercurial. There was a slight mismatch of tempi between piano and cello that resolved in the Adagio cantabile, where the melody developed slowly. It was wonderful to watch Mr. Thomas' face process Beethoven's emotional and spiritual intentions in the Adagio. The piano, too, was finely shaded and romantic in character. A well modulated performance.
The second sonata in the concert was the Piano Sonata in F minor, Opus 57 (“Appassionata”). Randall Hodgkinson's performance was exemplary and of recording quality level. The Allegro assai developed with restraint in a classical style. Mr. Hodgkinson's playing contained profundity in the bass and a mature, reflective power. F-minor falls, rises and moves one half step higher to G-flat. Rising storm clouds joined the treble choir. The darkness was probed more deeply as the principal melodic line returned with lamentation and a windy treble range. In the Andante con moto, Mr. Hodgkinson continued his measured and stately delivery as the music turned anthemic after the turbulence of the first movement. Lyrical variation on the melody followed, including bell-like treble clarity. At this point, Mr. Hodgkinson's playing was virtuosic. In the Finale con presto, the “Appassionata” concluded with powerful, resonant fire. Dissonance, chord key changes and great speed ensued. This performance certainly warranted a standing ovation. Fine work.
One of Beethoven's crown jewels , the Violin Sonata in A major, Opus 47 ("Kreutzer”), concluded the program. Ani Kavafian's use of a light bowing touch helped the listener enter the Adagio sostenuto though her pitch was slightly sharp at the beginning. Mihae Lee's piano work was fine. Ms. Kavafian's lyrical, sweeping playing allowed the development of musical richness, though again, her pitch was slightly sharp for a time. The Andante con variazoni included rich musical embroidery. The treble range of the violin was particularly good as a soaring flurry of notes lent luster. Ms. Kavafian treated cadenza and arpeggios with artistry. The Finale:Presto was percussive and well executed by the duo who played with consistent balance. This was an enjoyable rendition of Ludwig von Beethoven's elegant “Kreutzer”.
PEABODY ESSEX MUSEUM, Salem, MA: The Yachting Photography of Willard B. Jackson
Through May 20, 2007
Who would have thought a photography exhibit about just one subject could be so fascinating? Willard Jackson took photographs for roughly forty years and largely about one thing: pleasure craft. His weekends were spent photographing races between yachts and other sailboats, as well as other craft that were used in Marblehead in those days, like powerboats and smaller dories. Unlike pictorialists of his era like Alfred Stieglitz, he didn't try for artistic effects like soft focus or the mistiness that comes of bad weather. Instead, he photographed yachts like the Shiyessa IV (1911) with its beauteous poofy sails and minimally distracting background. He used considerable craft in his photographs, employing techniques like selective dodging for highlights. In shots like Oivanna (1900) he dodged the entire background to emphasize the vessel. It's hard to imagine, but he managed to get razor sharp photographs using slow film and bulky 8x10 cameras mounted on a powerboat in choppy seas. His pictures weren't perfect: there's a tonal flatness to Fritter (1904) and in some of his race shots, the boats are just too far away. But boy, did he get great angles. Look at the tilt of the Manchester (1905), and the fine varying expressions of the passengers. Perhaps one of the most spectacular shots is of the Odysseus, with its burned in grumpy sky and tilt back angle. Jackson was still proud of it, even though its glass plate negative contained a crack in the upper right hand corner. To the Peabody Essex Museum's credit, it didn't try to digitally fix the photograph. Doing so would have deprived viewers of a fine Jackson anecdote. This is an exhibit worth making the trip for, preferably by boat!
BOSTON CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY: Kodály, Harbison, and Dvorak
Personnel: Thomas Hill – clarinet, Randall Hodgkinson – piano, Ida Levin – violin, Harumi Rhodes – violin, Wilhelmina Smith – violoncello, Marcus Thompson – viola
November 17, 2006
The second concert of the 2006- 2007 Boston Chamber Music Society season started on solid footing with Zoltan Kodály’s “Serenade for Two Violins and Viola, Opus 12”. Considered by some to be Kodály’s greatest chamber work, it was written following the composer’s loss of his professional position at the National Academy of Music. It is one of the series written by Kodály from the 1890s, a period that includes two string quartets, a sonata for cello and piano, and a duo for violin and cello. The Allegramente was a vigorous, jubilant beginning played with lots of vivacity, followed by plucking and textured flow of lovely viola played by Marcus Thompson. Harumi Rhodes played her violin with sweet intonation. The Lento ma non troppo opened with tremolo and tentatively played viola followed by skittish violins that shifted to a poignant, high pitched range. This was emotionally stirring music. The violins became frictive and slightly dissonant with a cadenza-like section. One violin and the viola played harmonically in contrast to Ms. Rhodes’ searching, high pitched violin. The final Vivo movement was rich, athletic and a strong contrast to the second movement. The folk rhythms here were more broken and complex, cumulative and agitated as the composition returned to the lyrical, concluding with a fast pace in an imaginative realm. This was a virtuosic and excellent performance.
John Harbison’s “Variations for Violin, Clarinet and Piano”, written in 1982 came next. The Spirit-Dance opened with violin and clarinet as a spare see-saw. The piano joined with an amorphous veil of notes. Clarinet pensively returned, followed by an aspiring, strongly played violin. The Body-Dance was a more fluid section of the composition wherein the piano and other instruments were more vigorous. There was an almost jazz-like strain running with the clarinet, followed by a fragmentary, jagged accelerando and very exciting dénoument. The Soul-Dance followed much more calmly and speculatively with open phrasing. Ms. Rhodes’ violin here really sang. Clarinet and piano were clear and expressionistic, turning again toward more stridency and then contemplative, nearly somber piano. The Variations ended in a more restrained way, after the earlier calisthenics of the numerous variations. Again, a good performance.
Following the intermission, Antonin Dvorak’s “Piano Quarter in E-flat major, Opus 87” was performed. Opening with an Allegro con fuoco movement, full melodic, rich sound developed. Mr. Hodkinson’s piano playing sparkled, and partnered the violins and cello nicely. The movement ended with lingering tentativeness and closed strongly. The Lento movement included lovely cello playing by Ms. Smith and the ensemble playing was splendid. The work became effulgently romantic, again including strong cello from Ms. Smith. The ensemble continued to play with heartfelt and luminous passion. The Allegro moderato grazioso was lighter and airy, picking up the tempo with superb piano work. The Finale allegro ma non troppo w as joyous and full-bodied. The ensemble sounded like a folk orchestra in this movement. This was a completely enjoyable performance and a fine culmination to the entire concert.
BOSTON PHILHARMONIC: Schumann's Cello Concerto and Mahler's Fifth
Benjamin Zander, conductor
November 18, 2006
This second concert of the Boston Philharmonic’s 2006-2007 season brought back internationally renowned cellist, Alexander Baillie as soloist with Robert Schumann’s Concerto for Cello in A minor, opus 129. Having heard Mr. Baillie previously perform Shostakovich’s second cello concerto with Benjamin Zander, I came to this concert with great anticipation, based on Mr. Baillie’s versatility and command of texture. He has previously recorded noteworthy renditions of Penderecki’s Second Cello Concerto and Beethoven’s Triple Concerto. My anticipation was justified.
The Schumann Concerto for Cello started with resonant and fluid cello that sustained elegant and true Romantic vigor. Mr. Baillie’s playing held a rich lower range of notes. His playing was versatile and nuanced with wonderful dark enunciation. The cello was well framed by the entire orchestra, though occasionally within the Nicht zu schnell movement, the orchestra engaged with the cello a little stridently. Horn presentation was good and subtle with diminuendo and earnestness toward the melodic theme. Once the lyric theme was completed by the cello, the orchestra offered a full-sized, large statement. Within the Langsam movement melancholic downward flowing sound emerged with the echoing by woodwinds and pizzicato countermelody carried forward by other cellos. Much quicker paced music followed the finale, and then an extended, metrically varying cadenza. Throughout the performance, Mr. Baillie’s cello work carefully complemented the orchestra at the same time as it illuminated the concert stage. His cello also conducted conversations with itself, and sometimes within individual movements. This was a breathtaking performance, followed by an encore from Johann Sebastien Bach’s prelude to the First Cello Suite, a link to Mahler’s later symphonies.
Mahler’s Symphony Number 5 opened with that piercing lone-trumpet sound. This was joined by a grand scale orchestra including lots of strong brass work, notably with the tube in two figures. Violins sedately entered as the horns continued with great resonance. There followed reverent gracefulness with a nice cello and percussion interlude. Woodwinds and horns were strong as the movement slowed down, only to gain momentum, driven by violins and violas. Full emotional resonance developed, aided by the brass section as the flutes picked up a thread of the theme. Consequently, images of collapse recurred throughout this movement. This presented the weight of the world carried on the shoulders of survivors in contrast to the clarion burst of trumpets and the life force.
Part 2 opened more tumultuously. There was a suggestion of laughter, dissolution of momentum, as a layer of cellos emerged with a lugubrious undertone. Percussive bells and drums offered nice exclamation. The waltz rhythm developed, spinning on the edge. Percussive sticks were slapped with interesting dramatic effect. Fire bursts of sound came forth as the movement pushed toward a climax. As Benjamin Zander encouraged the audience in his pre-concert lecture, this indeed requires listening with an open heart.
Part 3 began with fine cello work and good orchestral playing. The violins were resonant and sweet. Harp joined in slowly at first, contributing to the sedate and serious symphonic core. As Mr. Zander suggested during his lecture, this is music that presents fort-foot waves that throw us in the air. It includes a waltz that becomes the dance of death, suggesting complete social collapse of the Hapsburg Empire. Yet it also presupposes that the artistic and human heart by extension can break through every experience of death and love to stand tall, albeit scarred, in the face of difficult emotional events.
CHAMELEON ARTS ENSEMBLE: "When a Hundred Years are Told"
Deborah Boldin, flute; Anthony D'Amico, bass; Nancy Dimock, oboe; Christopher Guzman, piano; Joanna Kurkowicz, violin; Whitacre Hill, horn; Kelli O'Connor, clarinet; Margaret Phillips, bassoon; Rafael Popper-Keizer, cello; Scott Woolweaver, viola
November 11, 2006
The second concert of the Chameleon Arts Ensemble's season began with a charming seven-minute appetizer, Albert Roussel's "Divertissment." In this work the unique stamp of Roussel's personal musical style slides brazenly to the forefront. The music is like a classical Mozart divertimento: cheerful, rhythmic in a cocky sort of way, transparently scored, and above all unpretentious. But unlike a Mozart divertimento, the Divertissment is a forward-looking work, in which we can see glimmerings the Neo-Classicism of the post-war years of nearly twenty years later. After its busy opening, Deborah Boldin plays a sonorous flute passage, then Nancy Dimock's oboe picks up the melody and leads into a melancholy andante. There is a sudden joyeous burst of simple tonality and the audience is transported to a promenade along the Champs-Elysées on a Sunday afternoon. And like the wheels of a carriage, the piece slowly winds down and comes to a stop.
Latvian composer Peteris Vasks and his critics both claim he writes message music. He consistently addresses and advocates, therefore his music is not classical but programmed in a literary sense: there is usually an idea, a moral, an emotional frame of reference. Like the works of fellow Baltic composer Avro Pärt of Estonia, his work has a point of view and shuns abstraction. In the Piano Quartet, he sometimes sounds like Dvorak gone awry, because he is melodic at times, and even sweetly so. The piece is an odd but diverting mixture of pathos, contemplation, and wit. Yes, wit. Listen to Joanna Kurkowicz's full-scale glissandos in the midst of presto sections and you may be reminded of Alfred Schnittke. Kurkowicz approaches the work with her characteristic bolts of energy and dense passionate precision. Another composer you may be reminded of is Shostakovich. At the opening, pianist Christopher Guzman artfully engages the audience with a dissonant dialogue with the strings; later he joins them in the profound adagio explorations of the final section.
The final work was Beethoven's Sextet, Opus 20. While it sounds quite classical in tone and structure, the piece was highly innovative for its time (1799). Most serenades of the time featured wind instruments in pairs; the Sextet has a single clarinet, bassoon and horn. And there is more: Wind English music writer Peter Holman observed: “The relationship between strings and winds is more flexible and varied than before. There is antiphonal writing between the two groups, ‘orchestral’ passages with the wind supporting the strings with held chords, florid wind solos and duets accompanied by the strings, and concerto-like passages for solo violin accompanied by the rest of the ensemble.” The Chameleon's performance of this most popular piece is spirited and passionate, with full respect for its playful tone and multifarious ornamentations. Once again, the piece came out to stretch its legs and leap into the hearts and brains of listeners.
Unfortunately, Beethoven grew to dislike this bubbly work. He felt it kept listeners away from his more transcendental works, as if there wasn't room on the stage for both types of music. Once, when approached by an admirer, Beethoven indignantly disavowed that he had anything to do with it, claiming Mozart wrote it! Shame on him. Luckily the Chameleons obviously think otherwise.
BANK OF BOSTON CELEBRITY SERIES: Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake
Kirov Ballet. Daria Pavlenko, Igor Zelensky, Andrei Ivanov. Choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov .
November 12, 2006
Here is a ballet performance that will make you think you’ve been transported back to 1896—almost. The wondrously old-fashion momentum of the melodramatic plot, filled with brilliant ensemble dancing of the corps de ballet, is joined seamlessly to the fairytale sets (one bathed in a festive orange light, another touched with the pale blue of night). No post-modern approach here!
The only departure is the use of a happy ending, mandated by the Soviet era. Still, this production, shaped by choreographer Konstantin Sergeyev in 1950, is clear like a summer's eve near a lakeshore. If there was any clutter, I certainly couldn’t find it.
Daria Pavlenko was a consistently tragic Odette. Rarely raising her eyelids, she danced melancholically, nearly flawlessly. (The two times she slipped featured startling recoveries.) She was extraordinarily pliant and, like most of the female dancers these days, nearly as thin as a runway model. And how well she played Odile, the evil daughter of the magician Rothbart, enlisted to seduce Siegfried away from Odette. (I always wondered why: is it to eventually capture the throne?) This dual role is very appealing to ballerinas and audiences, with its implications of bipolar disorder. For Odile, Pavlenko adopted a whole different personality, with her rigid demeanor and sinister smiles.
Igor Zelensky presented a Siegfried with an evolving style and sense of self. He was indeed princely, but he tempered his dancing in the first act, no where near as flamboyant as the jester or the blue-vested party guest. But in the second act, as he becomes more confident, Zelensky exploded into an orgy of pure technique. With his marvelous leaps, his dancing seemed as airy as Odette’s. Other soloists were also extraordinary. The bundle-of-muscles Andrey Ivanov was the hyper-kinetic jester, dropping into scenes like a clown from a circus cannon, dispensing pirouettes like lightning sparks to the audience's bedazzlement.
Another well-executed classical element was the national dance sequence of the second act, with the dancers performing in both high spirits and stolid confidence that sprouted from a century of Russian tradition. The final act featured a expertly choreographed tussle between Rothbart and Siegfried, in which Siegfried fatally de-winged him and won the maiden. A fitting end to a priceless performance.
CHORUS PRO MUSICA: Górecki, Murill, Martin
Conducted by Jeffrey Rink .
November 3, 2006
Chorus Pro Musica presented an intriguing vocal concert of three Twentieth century composers, Herbert Murill, Frank Martin and Henryk Górecki, in the Old South Church in downtown Boston on Friday, November 3, 2006. Old South Church is a church that is both hospitable with its large rose-colored open space and its excellent acoustics. Chorus Pro Musica’s programming was inviting to this reviewer who is a fan of Polish composer, Górecki, particularly for his First and Third symphonies, but I had not previously heard works by either Murill or Martin.
The English composer, Herbert Murill’s short work, “Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis”, opened with a full, resonant chorus that built on lovely sostenuto and poetic vocal phrasing, echoed by the organ. There was dynamic shading and precise phrasing with good control over the work. A nice concert opening.
Górecki’s “Miserere, opus 44,” written in 1981 at the height of the Polish Solidarity movement, came next. It began with penitent male voices, building a dark and monastic mood. In this music, the outer world was suspended for a time, continuing with its post-minimalist sequencing. The work developed slowly and very meditatively, including a small range of notes. The male voices slowly droned and lifted gradually as if by a power greater than themselves. The women gradually joined in the threnody as the whole work remained in a small range of notes. If one listened carefully enough, one could almost hear an accompaniment of bells, though the “Miserere” is à capella. Gradually, tranquility or perhaps acceptance of the dark world folded into the composition. Even the spiritual skeptic was drawn in over time. The composition swelled with fuller volume, filling the church with good vocal coloring. The tolling of the voices continued, building a musical layer above the chant with powerful spiritual and emotional resonance. This is a very difficult piece of music to perform and Chorus Pro Musica did well with it.
Swiss composer, Frank Martin’s “Mass for Double Chorus” concluded the concert. A tumbling, echoing swirl of women’s voices was joined by a small burst of male voices. Occasionally, there were somewhat overly enthusiastic sopranos here though the bass section was solid at the resolution of the first movement. In the Gloria, the sopranos swelled nicely. The Credo was marked by very vivid choral movement and was a high point of this performance. The incantatory Sanctus movement proclaimed the unity between heaven and earth. Unfortunately, this movement was marred by an unbalanced rhythm, followed by the more cohesive Agnus Dei. Conductor, Jeffrey Rink, had the chorus re-do the Sanctus at the end. The second go-around was rhythmically more focused, contributing to a larger sense of the colossal universe moving around the complex rhythmical pivot. Overall, this was a very enjoyable evening of musical performance.
BOSTON CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY: Haydn, Clarke, Brahms
Cynthia Phelps – viola, Ronald Thomas – violoncello, Mihae Lee – piano, Ida Levin – violin, Marcus Thompson – viola, Harumi Rhodes – violin, Fenwick Smith – flute; Wilhelmina Smith – violoncello.
October 21, 2006
The 2006- 2007 Boston Chamber Music Society programs opened with a concert including one work by a lesser known American composer, Rebecca Clarke, along with two masterworks by Franz Joseph Haydn and Johannes Brahms. To honor the four hundredth anniversary of the founding of the Jamestown colony, the BCMS will feature an American composer on each of its concerts this year. Despite a spotty turnout at Jordan Hall on a rainy Friday night, the concert was a great success, deserving much better attendance than it received. Boston classical music lovers ─ take note!
The evening started with Franz Joseph Haydn’s “Flute Trio in D Major, XV:16.” Describing this work in three movements written for flute, cello and piano, Haydn called it a “pianoforte Sonata with accompaniment.” Haydn considered the work to be minor and if we took his word seriously, we would cheat ourselves of its intricate pleasures. The airy piano in the Allegro movement was joined by measured, thoughtful flute. An elegant swirl of sound developed wherein the piano was the central pivot, played with great skill by Mihae Lee. The Andantino opened more somberly, joined by deliberate, pondering flute and cello. All three instruments sustained the stately tone. Fenwick Smith’s flute playing was particularly fine as the cello emerged with sonorous depth. The composition expanded toward the end, marked by rigorous piano work, and a brilliant, crisp closure. This was a thoroughly delightful performance.
American composer, Rebecca Clarke’s “Viola Sonata” (composed in 1919) came next on the bill. The Impetuoso movement began with rich viola, bringing to mind the composer, Ernest Bloch. The movement developed with fire and romantic fervor. Low register viola was accompanied by measured piano, lending to a haunting intimacy. The Vivace movement opened with pizzicato and a folk rhythm overlayer. Piano grew highly percussive, ending on a will-o-the-wisp, airy note. The final Adagio-Allegro movement brought greater seriousness and a reflective point of view, marked by spareness. The duo playing was excellent, with continuously rich cello work by Marcus Thompson, lovely balance between opulence and restraint, sweeping from time to time into a vortex of sound. This was an exciting performance by a lesser known Twentieth century American composer who certainly deserves popular recognition.
Following the intermission, Johannes Brahms’ masterpiece, “String Sextet in G Major, opus 36” was performed. Based on the young composer’s love for Agathe von Siebold, the Sextet remains one of Brahms’ most beloved chamber works and its four movements contain a broad emotional range. The Allegro movement was dignified and romantic simultaneously with excellent violin playing, particularly notable with Ida Levin’s playing. The Scherzo/Allegro Non Troppo started on a more fanciful footing with a moderately paced 2/4 meter. The feeling of autumnal poignancy was strong here, wherein a dance rhythm returned to the primary tempo. The Poco Adagio movement developed with more tentativeness, joined by broken musical “thoughts”. The final Poco Allegro movement was quicker-paced, including a lot of sweeping musical activity around the principal theme. The cellos were sonorous and ensemble playing built fine dramatic tension. Brahms’ Sextet grew so emotional, it almost felt as if it would burst out of its scored container! Rondo and sonata linked in the final movement, bringing turbulence, full throttle Romanticism and a simple theme carried by the violins. This ensemble playing was the high point of the concert which included luminous playing throughout.
BOSTON BAROQUE: Mozart's Don Giovanni
Mark Schnaible, Nicolle Foland, Nathan Berg, Gustav ANdreassen, Patrick Miller, Amy Burton, Heidi Stobger, Anton Belov. Conducted by Martin Pearlman. Stage direction by Sam Helfrich.
October 14, 2006
According to Opera America, Mozart's Don Giovanni is the seventh most performed opera in North America. And why not? It has everything: a witty libretto, social satire, a great story, and some of the finest music ever composed. Boston Baroque's performance last Saturday was semi-staged, but done so well that you forgot the lack of sumptuous staging within minutes. Pearlman conducted the famous overture swiftly and efficiently with dramatic pauses and tasty intonations, particularly in the brass. As the opera progressed, his emphasis on the opera's tragic elements synthesizes both buffo and serious styles. Berg's Don Giovanni is so mercurial he remains a mystery: demonic--even murderous--one moment, full of charm the next. I have seen this work probably a dozen times, but Pearlman and Helfrich's reading made me realize something I'd missed. In the final scene, Giovanni drinks from the bottle a lot. Perhaps they're conveying one possible explanation for his bravado when the ghost of the Commendatore, the stone guest, arrives. He's drunk!
On another plane, I would have liked to have seen this production emphasize the satirical elements in portraits of the "straight" actors, the righteous Don Ottavio and Donna Anna. In their enforced chastity and bland maxims, they are no less comic than Leporello. Other productions have noted this, but it's absent here.
Stober and Belov are both excellent singers and impressive comic actors as Zerlina and Masetto, particularly in "Batti, batti," in which she mockingly chides him to beat her for her "transgression." Shortly afterwards, one of the great masterpieces, the canzonetta "Deh vieni all finestra," is sung effectively by Don Giovanni, although I wish he'd hammed it up a notch. Victor Coelho's mandolin accompaniment is sublime. Schnaible is an excellent Leporello, with a firm grasp on contrasting elements in an aria (such as his effervescent chatter vs. stately minuet in the catalog aria, "Madamina, il catalogo e questo").
By the close of the virtual curtain, this production was an enjoyable experience, one that didn't flag for a moment.
ROSLINDALE OPEN STUDIOS 2006: – Peter Bates, Photographer”
To be shown: October 7 & 8, 2006
65 Westbourne St., Roslindale, MA
Peter Bates has developed his photographic craft over the past thirty years in Massachusetts. His work includes both black and white and color shots. His subjects are portraits, neon cityscapes, and European travel photos. A series of black and white photos documenting the catastrophic Lynn factory fires in the early 1980s shows Bates’ skill and keen sense of history.
This current show features twenty of Bates’ representative works. “Neonization #2” is a jazzy shot of a hot dog neon sign melting like a broken scallop shell into waves of red and yellow light. “A Korean Bistro” is another neon night shot with red and blue blurring into night. Bates also photographs European urban scenes in several well-realized photos like “Avenue des Gobelins”. He captures a Paris moment in his treatment of a wall of posters advertising political campaigns, a Rolling Stones concert and a young woman in a sexy orange dress, offset by a solitary man strolling past in denim. Another of his best photos is a portrait (“Belgian Traveler”) showing a black female traveler whose faces tells a story of mixed emotions: fatigue, angst, and dignity.
Her dark skin tones are framed regally by a royal blue blouse. A couple of color shots done in Florence, Italy are also worth mentioning. “Florentine At Rest” and “Florence, 1998,” both shot with 35 mm film and telephoto lens, also show Bates’ classical frame of reference. In “Florence, 1998”, an older Italian working class woman stands with a quizzical expression on her face, perhaps trying to understand the meaning of a Maoist poster on a nearby wall.
Bates has also taken many excellent photographs in New England. His photos often are whimsical and serious at the same time (“Mitchell’s Men Shop” and “Block Island, 2003”), but they also create an historical record of the North Shore in Massachusetts. “Veis Caushe” (1981) is a very moody shot of a young bearded man walking near what might be either an abandoned warehouse or a prison. The shot suggests a story with an open-ended plot. Among Bates’ best work is the series of black and white photographs he took to document the Lynn factory fires that occurred in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1981. These photos are a magnificent document of the fires that destroyed 60 businesses in Lynn. Haunting skeletal walls of ruined shoe factories climb the night sky. A crane or two hovers like a dinosaur in the distance. The ground smolders under the wreckage. These photos are elegiac, timeless and à propos on this fifth anniversary of September 11th and the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Lynn fire. You can see them in an emblematic way, as well as for what they represent.
CHAMELEON ARTS ENSEMBLE – “To Breathe their Marvelous Notes”
Deborah Boldin, flute; Gloria Chien, piano; Nancy Dimock, oboe; Gary Gorczyca, clarinet; Christopher Guzman, piano; Rafael Popper-Keizer, cello; Katherine Winterstein, violin; Scott Woolweaver, viola
May 20, 2006
The Chameleon Arts Ensemble has done it again: it has given us a fantastic, varied program with gorgeous playing. Those who were lucky enough to have been there on May 20 listened to Deborah Boldin’s exquisite and at times haunting flute, particularly in the Adagio section of Martinu’s Trio in F Major; Gloria Chien’s delicate piano playing, like a constant waterfall in the background of the Andante section of the same piece; Katherine Winterstein’s shimmering violin, like moonlight on still waters, in the “Prospero” section of Tempest Fantasy; and the magnificent sound that Scott Woolweaver elicited from his viola in Mozart’s piano quartet. The other musicians played with equal verve, though with somewhat less glamour.
The Chameleons, a nine-year-old chamber music group, take chances in their selection of the music and play it with passion and elegance. Miraculously, they manage the rare feat of remaining on the knife’s edge of Apollonian precision and clarity and Dionysian transport. Particularly impressive was Moravec’s Tempest Fantasy (based on Shakespeare’s play The Tempest), where we heard some excellent ensemble work. The variety of sounds in this piece was sheer delight, pleasantly challenging the mind and satisfying the spirit with its pixyish humor. In the “Sweet Airs” section, we enjoyed luminous piano playing and a pearly violin full of sheen.
Milhaud’s Sonata was a more dissonant affair, a galloping nightmare. The Chameleons, though, gave it their all with their meticulous craft. With the last piece, by Mozart, we returned to another era, a comforting and unusual way to end this terrific concert.
Dalia Geffen,
Founder and President of the Boston Wagner Society
BOSTON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA PRESENTS AN ALL-RUSSIAN PROGRAM
Conducted by Benjamin Zander. Featuring violinist Caitlin Tully.
April 29, 2006
Like Benjamin Zander, I too was skeptical. A high school child playing one of Shostakovich's most beautiful and anguished concertos, the first violin concerto?. How could this fresh faced girl know enough of persecution and exultation to do this marvelous piece justice? Somehow Caitlin Tully did. For 35 minutes she probed the sleek glissandos and churning dissonances of this concerto and produced a nearly flawless rendition, comparable to contemporaries twenty years her senior and -- dare I say this?-- approaching David Oistrach's landmark recording. She began the first movement with intriguing subtlety, refusing the easy effects of rubato and virtuosic fingering. She was not upstaged by the tenuous pings of the harp, nor the low rumblings of the orchestra. At one point,. I heard the mellow notes of tubist Don Rankin, which I rarely do since the tuba tends to be more of a background instrument. In the Scherzo, a notable moment occurred when the winds and the violin conspired in a bizarre interchange, tossing figures around until the famous and raucous dance theme appears. Tully handled the abrupt tempo shifts of this totentanz with consummate skill. The rest of the piece was just as stellar, with the Andante's perfect glissandos and the intense cadenza complete with angry crossbowing. In the final movement the Scherzo theme peeks out and this amazing violinist, whose performance I didn't want to end, grabs it and runs with it to the triumphant finish.
A word about programming choice. Could it be that providing another such intense work would have been too much for the audience? Does that account for the Tchaikovsky? His Fifth Symphony, with its beguiling "fate theme," served as a parachute to the Shostakovich concerto, which reared us to the heights and didn't quite let us down properly. While the Tchaikovsky piece has many memorable moments, its music seems a little old fashioned by comparison. Perhaps its graceful and nostalgic waltz in movement III is a little too well-known. However, I still find it pretty and it does remind me of the dance school I attended in my flaming youth. Zander changed the metronome markings a few times, and I think it helped free this symphony a bit from preciousness. Personally, I would have ended the season with a more brisk and elegant Russian piece, like Stravinsky's Symphony in C, but I can attribute to my perverse nature.
I forgot to mention the appetizer! The first piece Zander played was Mussorgsky's Khovanchtchyina Introduction, which is a tasty five-minute bonbon, a set of five variation on a Russian folk theme. It's a well-structured and restrained piece, comparable to some of Mussorgsky's best songs (as sung by Boris Christoff, of course). It doesn't get brisk and noisy and doesn't get gushy and sentimental,. but is delicate and flowing like an ivory-colored gown at a nineteenth century ball. Of course in no way did it prepare us for the burgeoning skill of Caitlin Tully.
The Man Who
By Oliver Sacks, Peter Brook, and Marie-Helene Estienne. Starring Steven Barkhimer, Jim Spencer, Owen Doyle, Robert Bonotto . Directed by Wesley Savick. The Nora Theatre Group at the Boston Playwrite's Theater through May 7.
April 21, 2006
We are all one fall, one car accident away from debilitating brain damage. There are few plays I've seen that make me ponder this fact more acutely than The Man Who. It is a true horror story.
Based on Olver Sack's The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, these seventeen vignettes dramatize the many types of brain damage than can occur through strokes or other accidents are fool flesh is heir to. But the play doesn't go deeply into the why or how a person acquired "Loss of Proprioception" (a disconnection from body) or "Visual Agnosia" (the inability to recognize objects or faces). What's important is the poignancy of the characters' plights, as they are skillfully drawn by the ensemble. The tormented man in "Jargon" babbles nonsense, but is able to put together enough meaningful words so that the audience can catch the tone of his deep suffering. The actors portraying the medical staff run the patients through multiple tests, which they repeatedly score poorly on or demonstrate little improvement. One character thinks he's still 26 years old and panics when shown a mirror. "What's happened to my face?" he howls. In "Ticker," the actor performs a tour de force rendition of a man with Tourette's Syndrome, eloquently and even humorously aware of his condition. The actors frequently change roles from scene to scene: sometimes the doctor, sometimes the patient. This conveys how easily it would be for a doctor to suddenly become a patient, perhaps as a result of one winter fall on the head.
For some odd reason, co-author Peter Brook chose not to cast any women in these roles. Perhaps he was afraid of introducing sexual elements. Still, I can't recommend this engaging play highly enough. If it's between turning your brain to mush with Nunsense or trying on the half-lives of these victims, choose The Man Who. It will haunt you for days, as it is still doing to me.
Emerson String Quartet Performs Shostakovich's Final Three String Quartets
Emerson String Quartet. A Bank of America Celebrity Series event.
April 21, 2006
What an appropos program for this Shostakovich centennial! The composer’s last three string quartets are his most profound, with the final one, the Fifteenth, the reigning masterpiece of emotive power. These quartets were written in the final four years of his life. His body ravaged by illnesses, he turned inward, toward forging his deep thoughts into musical form. The Thirteenth begins and ends with a somber viola figure. This unfolds into an ABA shape that confirms this theory: that the form is that of a trip—perhaps through life. Near the middle is a bizarre, sometimes dissonant foray into atonality. The members of the Emerson String Quartet play it with apropos skill, producing percussive effects by tapping their bows on the bodies of the instruments. This piece has some 12-tone elements to it, but compacted ones, like those produced by Webern in his later years.
A few years back, the Emersons penetrated the code of interpreting these quartets in a stellar recording, just like their Russian colleagues, the Borodin Quartet, did. With apparent ease, they have transferred this deft playing to this Bank of America Celebrity Series performance. Their rendition of the Fourteenth String quartet shows their irreproachable artistry, from its fevered take-no-prisoners opening to its eloquently expressed morendo ending (also shared by the Fifteenth quartet). The third movement Allegretto features a triumphant quote from his notorious 1932 opera, Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District. Nothing quite prepares a listener for her first hearing of the doleful and heart-wrenching Fifteenth quartet. In it a lovely valedictory theme begins the piece, producing figures of ineffable beauty. In II, the work repeats the last glissando of the Thirteenth quartet multiple times as the players pass the technique back and forth. In one persistent four-note passage, the Emersons skillfully interpret Shostakovich’s penchant for strong sforzandos. At the end of it all, the lyrical theme gets subsumed by the ensemble’s low rumbling ostinato. A stunning evening, not to be forgotten.
CHAMELEON ARTS ENSEMBLE – “A Strain of Music in the Night”
Charles Blandy (tenor), Deborah Boldin (flute), Vivian Chang-Freiheit (piano), Joshua Gordon (cello), Joanna Kurkowicz (violin), William Manley (percussion), Rafael Popper-Keizer (cello), Harumi Rhodes (violin), Marcus Thompson (viola), Scott Woolweaver (viola)
March 18, 2006
The fourth program for the Chameleon Arts Ensemble’s 2005-2006 schedule included two American composers, Arthur Foote and George Crumb, and two Europeans, Franz Schubert and Arnold Schoenberg. All four compositions were dream-like, nocturnal, suggestive of the regenerative force of nature and love, and for that reason, they are well performed together. Additionally, all four compositions were highly poetic, the Crumb and Schoenberg especially powerful creations of mini-worlds or landscapes wherein vast emotional change transpires.
Arthur Foote’s “Nocturne and Scherzo” was first on the program. The melody opened with a mellifluous, Villa-Lobos’ like strain. Sweet-toned flute and excellent playing by the ensemble ensued. There was a lifting and passionate movement upward to the melodic line. Elegant, rich sound followed with a duo of violins and viola. Rich cello and viola together created a dark underlayer below the violins. Following this, the pacing picked up, suggesting a Mendelssohn-like dance movement. Here, spritely flute and rich cello contributed greatly and the playing was generally imaginative and fresh.
The notable tenor, Charles Blandy, sang Franz Schubert’s “Die Schoene Mullerein." He began the song cycle with briskness and drama. The upper range of his voice was particularly strong. Piano accompaniment worked very well. Mr. Blandy’s voice contained poignancy, with subtle shifting from dark to light, fully suggesting the tragic. He sang with consistent energy with well modulated, excellent range. In all the songs, there was a controlled sense of pathos. Only occasionally, the voice became a little pressured. The final song, a tender lullabye-like piece, included some of the best singing of the evening.
George Crumb’s “Dream Sequences: Images II” was next. The composition was peculiarly organized around three individual “circles of sound” in mind, one each for piano, percussion, and cello and violin. Offstage glass harmonica lent to the sense of a drifting state of consciousness. Layered heat rose. The instruments buzzed together, suggesting insects. We were reminded of a watery location, a shift of sound and susurration. There was the suggestion of layers of abstract color, leaves shaking in wind. iano rumbled like storm clouds and subtle thunder. Birds and wind came and went in the musical palette. The piano suddenly crashed and then backed off again like lighting or perhaps insight within a dream. The total effect was magical and almost hypnotic, with a clear mix of Eastern and Western influences. This was a wonderfully well performed and imaginative piece of music.
Finally, Arnold Schoenberg’s late Romantic masterwork, “Verklärte Nacht” was performed. Dark somber cellos opened, joined by violins and violas. There was a nice sweep here into passion. Frenzied sound settled back into greater calm. Occasionally, the six virtuosic players built the pitch to a somewhat overpowering level of sound. This can be a problem in the rather small Göethe- Institut performance space. When the ensemble played with more modulation, they played better as the piece stretched into the night stillness and high level “musical poetry” of the composition. Fanciful plucking by two violins was lovely and there was a singing lyricism toward the performance’s middle. Toward the end, balance was nicely achieved by the ensemble with a haunting sense of the fragility of time and deep, dark Romanticism intertwined. A good performance, overall.
Jordi Savall and Hèsperion XXI Perform Late Renaissance Music
Jordi Savall, Johanna Valencia, Fahmi Alqhai (viola da gamba), Begoña Olavide ( psaltry), Arianna Savall (double harp), Xavier Diaz-Latorre (guitar), Pedro Estevan (percussion), and the rest of Hespèrion XXI, together with La Capella Reial de Catalunya.
March 3, 2006
The ever extraordinary Jordi Saval and his Hespèrion XXI consort put on another inventive, emotive, and immensely entertaining show last Saturday. Together with singers from La Capella Reial de Catalunya, they delighted listeners with their adaptations of late renaissance and early baroque music from Spain.
They began with "Propinan del Malyor," a spirited rhythmic instrumental piece. Almost right away, we realize that this is not a one-man show for Savall, but a true collaborative undertaking, with musicians like percussionist Pedro Estevan performing amazing feats instead of just playing music. At one point he plays three instruments at once! Vocal works like "Pavana & Gallarda" were melancholic and nostalgic, with heavily religious texts. But Savall wisely interspersed the piece with lively instrumental interludes. On this one, he masterfully improvised on the viola da gamba, which was the style of the time. The instrumental "Corrente italiana" began as a stately piece and gave way to spurts of frenetic intensity. "Ritual formulario" is a monodic piece with a dark interlude, ominously sung by Capella Reial.
My only problem with this concert was the problematic acoustics. The huge Jesuit Center is a church originally designed to offer music as nectar to the service, not as the main event. As such, it is just too large to be sonically successful in every section. It was often difficult to hear the skillful guitarist Xavier Diaz-Latorre in his solo pieces, and I was sitting one third of the way back. I mentioned to the man next to me if he thought the concert should be miked and he smirked at me as if I'd suggested they perform in the nude. I've heard this "swallowed sound" effect before in a performance by this group, about ten years ago in one of the lower Newbury Street churches. Perhaps miking should be considered next time they perform in such venues.
That aside, this was a remarkable event—inventive as Ariana Savall's harp performance on "Tarantela" and as wondrously strange as Begoña Olavide's psaltry.
BOSTON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA CONCERT, “THE HEROIC IDEAL”
Conducted by Benjamin Zander.
February 25, 2006
The third program of the 2005-2006 Boston Philharmonic season (“The Heroic Ideal”) featured virtuoso pianist, Jon Kimura Parker, who has built an international reputation, performing concerts with the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, and Dallas Symphony along with orchestras in Tokyo and Warsaw. His repertoire is wide, ranging from popular compositions by Alanis Morisette to Beethoven and he has hosted a classical music television series in Canada called “Whole Notes” on Bravo! Canada. He is a Professor of Piano at Rice University at the University of Houston and he has helped promote young performers in Canada. He has recorded on the Telarc label. enthusiastic audience to this mid-November concert at Jordan Hall in Boston.
The program opened with Beethoven’s Piano Concerto Number 5 in E-Flat Major, opus 73, known popularly as the “Emperor”. Dedicated by the composer to the Archduke Rudolph in 1812, the concerto is one of Beethoven’s finest, emphasizing freedom and human progress in the midst of terrible chaos and war. In the years preceding this concerto’s completion, Beethoven had also completed five symphonies, the Kreutzer and Cello sonatas, the Waldstein and a host of other major compositions including Fidelio. At this point, Austria and France were at war and Beethoven was nearly deaf. This heroic and grand scale concerto’s Allegro began with fluid and nuanced piano, balanced with the orchestra. The strings were particularly good, played with restrained passion. The piano work was delicate, allowing development of bell-like tones. Woodwinds intervened with poignancy. Mr. Parker’s upper range playing was exquisite and poetic, creating the effect of an orchestra inside the larger orchestra. The Adagio un poco mosso began somberly, more slow paced. Again, the strings sounded elegant, joined by flutes and the piano, now more tentative and restrained in a backward pull into historic memory. The woodwinds played a parallel theme to the piano as the piano then boldly moved into an explosive and electric union with the orchestra. Here, the dynamic control was superb, showing boldness and discipline, moving from the melancholic to the fierce, very close to Beethoven’s own giant emotional palette. The orchestra throughout the concerto played with muscular power. This was a fine and memorable Boston Philharmonic performance.
Following the intermission, Edward Elgar’s Symphony Number 1 in A-Flat Major, opus 55 was performed. The Andante developed with deliberate pacing, becoming more vigorous with cross stitchwork of strings and the brass section. There was noteworthy strong solo work with principal violinist, Joanna Kurkowicz, in this movement. A brief interlude of harp and horns was also lyrical, as the first movement returned to its carefully paced beginning. The Allegro motto had a quicker tempo resembling a march. There was a shift to a much less dense melodic line. The march moved toward a slower meter. Here the cellos and violins were lovely and the whole orchestra sounded very mature. The Adagio marked another shift with more militant rhythm and unrest and greater use of horns and woodwinds. The harp again sounded lovely in this complex and enjoyable performance.
CHAMELEON ARTS ENSEMBLE – “Dreaming Fair Songs”
Deborah Boldin (flute), Gloria Chien (piano), Nancy Dimock (oboe), Whitacre Hill (horn), Joanna Kurkowicz (violin), Sabrina Learman (soprano), Kelli O’Connor (clarinet), Margaret Phillips (bassoon), Rafael Popper-Keizer (cello), Anna Reinersman (harp), Scott Woolweaver (viola)
February 4, 2006
The third program for the Chameleon Arts Ensemble’s 2005-2006 schedule included a nice mixture of modern and romantic works, drawn from American, Latin American and European composers. The Chameleon Arts Ensemble continues to perform concerts that include well known and not widely known composers, helping to inform and entertain the audience at the same time.
The Twentieth century American composer, George Rochberg’s “To the Dark Wood” was first on the program. Written in 1985, the piece was composed after Rochberg turned away from serialism and centered on use of the horn. Beginning with a subtle mood of anxiety, the flute joined vivid bassoon and horn, weaving in what resembled a quote from Stravinsky’s “Soldier’s Tale”. Turbulence moved into a period of reflection which then returned to an anxious motif; in repetition, it became a little demonic. Eventually, nice flowing flute work shifted things. Whitacre Hill’s horn playing was consistently strong and sustained throughout the piece which included unexpected bursts of punctuated, percussive notes.
Heitor Villa-Lobos’ “Quintette Instrumental” was next. Originally commissioned for Villa-Lobos’ seventieth birthday by the French National Orchestra in 1957, this is a sumptuous and varied composition, written for strings and flute. The Allegro non troppo included elegant harp playing by Anna Reinersman and excellent flute playing by Deb Boldin. The Lento opened with the harp joined by shimmering flute and subtle strings. Again, this movement included percussive flute and good ensemble playing. The cello paired with the harp sang at times here. The flute suggested falling rain and was vividly impressionistic. The Allegro poco moderato movement began more turbulently and on modern footing, including interesting dissonance swirling around the lyricism. This movement continued the elegant ensemble work which made this a recording quality performance piece.
Kurt Weill’s “Frauentanz, opus 10” came next. Written at age 23 while Weill studied with the major composer, Busoni, the text came from medieval courtly love songs from Twelfth and Thirteenth century Southern Germany. It was written five years before Weill collaborated with Berthold Brecht to produce their masterwork, The Threepenny Opera. The seven songs in the “Frauentanz” were sung with emotional resonance by soprano, Sabrina Learman. Her clear and crisp enunciation added strength to the individual pieces. Woodwinds were moody and good, weaving in dissonance and an occasional folk refrain. I particularly enjoyed the Allegretto giocoso and Tranquillo dolente for their haunting moodiness and the wandering unrest suggested.
Following the intermission, the Chameleons performed Franz Schubert’s masterwork, “Trio in E-Flat major, opus 100.” Written in the same year Schubert had completed the “Winterreise” song cycle and shortly after Beethoven’s death, the “Trio in E-Flat major” has symphonic grandness and emotional profundity. The Allegro included crystalline piano work by Gloria Chien and lovely dark cello though there was a bit of choppiness in the middle of the movement. The Andante con moto was consistently excellent from the point of view of pacing and subtlety. Passion and restraint appeared in equal measure here. The Scherzo allegro moderato included bright piano work. Rafael Popper-Keizer’s cello playing was marvelous in the Allegro moderato and the ensemble work throughout this final movement was fine.
Ewa Podleś Dazzles Audience
Ewa Podleś, contralto; Ania Marchwinska, piano
Solo recital, Jordan Hall, Boston, February 17, 2006
Chopin: Five songs, opus 74, nos. 4, 8, 14, 16, 12
Rossini: Giovanna d’Arco
Rachmaninoff: Six songs, opus 26, no. 6; opus 14, no. 3; opus 4, no. 3; opus 26, no. 15, opus 14, nos. 9 and 11
Brahms: Zigeurnelieder, Opus 103, nos. 1–8
Rarely have the walls of Jordan Hall resounded with such sublime tones and artistry. Ewa Podleś, the world’s foremost contralto, regaled a small Boston audience with her tremendously versatile voice, terrific dramatizations, and an amazingly wide range. Making her debut for the Bank of America Celebrity Series, this consummate artist of the old school of singing also gave the audience two encores: Isabella, from Rossini’s L’Italiana in Algieri, and Tchaikovsky’s song “Scaramouche.” The audience applauded on its feet and called her back again and again.
In Chopin’s “Moja Pieszczotka” (My Sweetheart, no. 12), the graceful and expressive Podleś, singing in her native tongue, offered up ladles of dark honey for her audience to savor, with smoothly gliding, delightful portamentos. In Rossini’s Giovanna d’Arco (Joan of Arc), her large voice took on husky hues, with tenorial tones in the low notes. Astonishingly, her every note, no matter how high or low, was well placed, well-supported, and perfectly pitched. In Rachmaninoff’s “Khristos Voskryes” (Christ Is Risen, opus 26, no. 6), Podleś seemed on the verge of tears as she so ably dramatized the poet’s (Dmitry Sergeyevich Merezhkovsky) great sorrow at the “world . . . soaked with blood and tears” (translated by Diana L. Burgin). Watching her sing Brahms was an experience of total immersion in the words and the variegated music. The colors in her voice and her ever-changing (within seconds), chameleon-like characterizations of all the nuances of each piece were remarkable.
The only drawback in this amazing performance was Marchwinska’s unimaginative accompaniment, which thankfully improved in the second half of the program. Podleś definitively belongs in the Hall of Fame of the Golden Age of singing. How fortunate that we can hear her now. I fervently hope that she returns to Boston soon.
Dalia Geffen,
Founder and President of the Boston Wagner Society
Natalia Gutman Plays Arensky, Shostakovich, Brahms
January 22, 2006
Sunday night we were treated to the genius of the Russian cellist Natalia Gutman, who has never played in Boston before.
Her program in Sanders Theatre with violinist Slava Moroz and pianist Dmitri Shteinberg was outstanding.
Her rendition of Schumann's ''Five Pieces in Folk Style" conveyed the humor and vivid spirit of the piece, which we hear too seldom in this country. When she opened with Brahms's "Cello Sonata No. 1," it was easy to see we were in the presence of a master. For example, she played the stirring first movement by actually de-emphasizing the sforzandos, a hard thing for most callow musicians to do who want to make a splash.
The three musicians did a fine rendition of a less interesting chamber work by Anton Arensky, his D-Minor Trio. Moroz snapped two violin strings, but the trio quickly recovered and replayed the movement. Finally, the centerpiece, Shostakovich's " Piano Trio No. 2" (1944). The trio played this better than I've ever heard, particularly the final movement's "Dance of Death" sequence, which is reprised in the composer's "String Quartet No. 8." I couldn't take my eyes off them, particularly Gutman. She played as if her life depended on it. I wish they hadn't encored that brassy little scherzo by Arensky, though. Perhaps they should consider encoring a piece by Schnittke, like the poignant "Madrigal in Memoriam Oleg Kagan," written for her late husband.
Boston Museum of Fine Arts: Ansel Adams
Until December 31, 2005
Think you've seen everything by Ansel Adams? Think that you've had your fill of thrilling vistas of Yosemite National Park and "Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico?" As they used to say in vaudeville, "You ain't seen nothing yet." The MFA's comprehensive exhibit of 180 of Adams' best works encompasses shots you'd never guess Adams had taken. "Old Wall Paper in House at Lundy, California" is a study in the textures of stains and rips that veers on abstraction, decades before Aaron Siskind wowed viewers with his textural experiments. (Adams never liked the term "abstract"; he always referred to such pictures as "extracts.") A photograph called "Political Sign," encouraging citizens to "Vote NO on #8" (whatever that is), is a stark Depression image, bright white against a dark grained wood. Another shot of political signs is quite arresting, as the signs ripple against a corrugated, highly shadowed wall. You can barely read them, but that's not the point.
Even some of his natural shots have a quiet eccentricity to them. "Grass and Burnt Stump" is one that forces a double take. Filling up most of the frame, the shiny black stump looks segmented like lizard skin. Only the grass in front of it pegs it as a nature shot and not a pure trompe l'oeil.
This exhibit even has excellent portraits. One candid, taken uncharacteristically with a 35mm camera, is entitled "Georgia O'Keeffe and Orville Cox." Ms. O'Keeffe has an impish smile on her face, while Cox, a rural guide, seems embarrassed at having his picture taken. "Residents, Hornitos, California" shows two old geezers sitting in front of a storefront in a phtograph almost worthy of documentarian Walker Evans.
"Almost" is an operative word here. Adams sometimes printed his pictures too dark and this one displays low contrast that seems at odds with Adams' tonal-balance "zone theory.""Winter Sunrise," printed in 1971, is also overly dark, notably in its large center swath of trees. He probably should have dodged it more in the darkroom. Also, I would have liked more information about the cameras Adams used. It seems as though there were several. What were they? A central exhibit table, similar to the one that held his first Brownie, would have been welcome.
These quirks should not impede your enjoyment of this excellent show. Experience the intoxicating beauty of "Aspens, Northern New Mexico," justifiably a favorite of the art calendar market. Revel in the twisty forms of the last photo, "Freeway Interchange, Los Angeles" (above). The man was a giant in his field and brought art photography out of the drawing rooms and tiny galleries.
BOSTON PHILHARMONIC, "Wresting Art from Madness"
Conducted by Benjamin Zander.
November 19, 2005
The second concert of the 2005-2006 season of the Boston Philharmonic brought great anticipation with the inclusion of piano soloist, Gabriela Montero, who has risen rapidly internationally, having won several major competitions and with previous performances of note in London, Canada, Buenos Aires, and Hamburg. With deeply rooted training in both the Baroque and romantic traditions, she also has advanced ability in the art of improvisation. The combination of major compositions by Rachmaninoff and the lesser known but significant Twentieth century composer, Carl Nielsen, brought a large and enthusiastic audience to this mid-November concert at Jordan Hall in Boston.
The Rachmaninoff Concerto for Piano #2 in C minor opened with lush romantic flare by soloist, Gabriela Montero. The Moderato movement effortlessly swept the strings into the concerto without overpowering the piano's lyricism and power. Woodwinds punctuated the theme. Flutes were also a lovely strand here, followed by bright piano work. The musical pace throughout this movement was percussive and vigorous. Horns joined in with melancholy poignancy with excellent modulation to the rather abrupt closure of the movement. The Adagio sostenuto movement in E major, a shift from the first movement's alternating C minor and F, developed a beautiful duet between the piano and flute. The bittersweet romanticism was further enhanced when violins joined in. The oboes, too, were noteworthy. Pacing changed to a less pyrotechnic place with pensive strings and soaring piano. The third movement (Allegro scherzando) began with a more animated orchestra with fiery piano flourishes. Ms. Montero's playing in this movement was technically very accomplished but also emotionally profound. She anticipated the notes, accompanied by the enthusiastic orchestra. An exceptionally well played section stretched toward the primary melody at this point with a full hearted and big voiced orchestra.
To my mind, this was one of the single best performances T have heard by the Boston Philharmonic with an exceptional soloist. It certainly was one worthy of recording. The pairing of this fine young pianist and the orchestra was memorable, profound and technically very high level. Ms. Montero performed three encores, based on improvisation, that were also rather amazing. The first was fugal, the second rather jazzy, and the third like a tango in form. All of these were inventive and delightful. I look forward to her soon to be released CD of improvisations based on Bach themes. Definitely a musical force on the scene and to be reckoned with.
Following the intermission, the Boston Philharmonic performed Carl Nielsen's Symphony #5, opus 50, first performed in Copenhagen after World War I. The Tempo giusto opened with very busy strings accompanied by dissonant bassoons. Muted violins and cellos then entered, joined by a shimmering haze of woodwinds. Percussion grew militant. Heckling woodwinds joined, suggesting a marching band walking through a dream cloud. We can almost see the haze of flare lights in the distance, suggesting a sulfurous sky. The Adagio non troppo began almost reassuringly with very good horn work. Percussion became almost scary at times. We can almost hear guns and fireworks, particularly when the orchestra reached full volume. Drums played distantly here were very effective, suggesting the troops moving on. The piece then grew unsettled, highly energetic, with a sudden diminuendo, followed by the slipping slope of woodwinds. The composition then became more pensive. Bassoons joined strings, followed by increased percussion. The orchestra veered toward the abyss, stumbling sideways and then regaining its footing, having moved past oblivion. This performance of a conceptually difficult, not often heard composition was very engaging and timely in our current world landscape. This was a thoroughly enjoyable evening of music, from start to finish.
CHAMELEON ARTS ENSEMBLE - "And Many a Youth Entranced"
Deborah Boldin (flute), Gary Gorczyca (clarinet), Sabrina Learman (soprano), William Manley (percussion), Rafael Popper-Keizer (cello), Byron Schenkman (piano), Joanna Kurkowicz (violin)
November 5, 2005
This second program of the Chameleon Arts Ensemble's 2005-2006 season included a fine mix of classical and modern repertoire ranging from Beethoven to Rachmaninoff, including two not so well-known composers, Earl Kim and Daron Hagen. Guest artist for the night was the marvelous pianist, Byron Schenkman. Mr. Schenkman started his career as a harpsichordist and fortepianist and has since gone on to co-found the Seattle Baroque Orchestra, and to perform in a number of chamber ensembles in Europe, Japan and the U.S. His virtuosity, mercurial range and power were all showcased beautifully throughout the evening.
The program opened with Beethoven's Trio in B-flat Major, opus 11. The Allegro con brio developed nice fluid pacing between the piano and cello played with a light touch. Byron Schenkman's piano playing was elegant with a good sense of space around the notes. The lightness of this movement sounded terrific in the Goethe-Institut's performance space. Strong cello opened the Adagio movement, joined by clear clarinet and nuanced piano, moving toward a darker song region. This then swept into melancholy which was highly reflective, again with strong piano work. The Allegretto (Theme and Variations) was joyous and playful, by contrast, with a wandering piano, accompanied by simple strands of cello and clarinet. Exuberance suddenly shifted into melancholy, then moved toward embellished exuberance. An ample performance by the ensemble.
Daron Hagen's "Dear Youth", a miniature folk opera, was next, based on letters written by several American women during the Civil War. The composition was built from several recitatives and arias. Sabrina Learman's haunting soprano lifted the storytelling aspects of the composition, lending poignancy to the music. There was wit in songs like "The Trouble with Tom" and strong anti-war sentiment throughout the composition. Deborah Boldin's flute playing propelled the piece forward, creating a connecting chord of sound and fury to the separate letters involved. Lines spoken like "Men are going the wrong way all the time" reinforced the existential plight of the soldiers and their families. Byron Schenkman's piano playing was moody, tense and very good.
Third on the program was Earl Kim's "Dear Linda", based on a letter written by poet, Anne Sexton, to her daughter, Linda, five years before Sexton's death. The ensemble included soprano, narrator, percussion, flute, cello and piano. Kim was early influenced by the major composers, Arnold Schoenberg and Ernest Bloch, and one can hear the sparse, emotionally resonant echoes of both composers in this composition. Its highly percussive beginning included fragmented piano, crazy cello, reflective flute, and a militant drum roll. The Sexton letter quoted was strange, prophetic about departure/death and elegant from a compositional point of view.
Sergei Rachmaninoff s "Trio Elegiaque", dedicated to the memory of Tchaikovsky, was the final piece performed and a high point of the program. The Moderato allegro movement joined the cello, violin and piano with passion and dark texture like a conversation between lovers. It was stunningly romantic, containing a certain amount of frenzy. All three instruments played with virtuosity. There was gorgeous lower register piano playing. The Quasi Variazone was fleeter, developing with a bell-like piano, joined by fragmented violin and cello. A fluttering of notes like falling leaves followed as the movement shifted to a tolling, funereal sound. The cello and violin sang a lament. The Allegro risoluto began with strong piano playing. Fully saturated sound followed with spectacular range in the piano. The deep-voiced, lamenting cello threaded through the final movement like a dark purple brocade. Fine and memorable performance by Johanna Kurkowicz, Rafael Popper Keizer, and Byron Schenkman.
Boston Chamber Music Society Opens Season with a Brisk Start with Beethoven, Paulus, Schubert
Fenwick Smith (flute), Ida Levin (violin), Wilhelmina Smith (cello), Randall Hodgkinson (piano), Lucy Chapman Stolzman (violin), Marcus Thompson (viola), Ronald Thomas (cello).
October 14, 2005
"Warm them up with a vivid accessible piece" has been the rule in Boston concerts for as long as I've been attending, and it worked its magic with Beethoven's Piano Trio in E-flat major, Op. 1, No. 1. Always a crowd pleaser, this piece from 1793 wears its 18th century garb well, but between its folds peeks the restless spirit of the questing young Beethoven. It begins with a spirited Allegro introduction, followed by beguiling imitatative intervals. The trio members didn't get creative with rubato and other effects, but performed the recapituation with vigor. The Adagio cantible was sweetly performed and featured a deft shift into a minor key for a few bars. The Scherzo was a nicely accented and simple movement, with Randall Hodgkinson amazing the audience with rapid piano figures. The finale is a zesty rondo, with the ensemble underscoring each tantalizing dip in tempo after the imitations. The second piece, Stephen Paulus' Dramatic Suite, is best described by the composer: After a slow introduction by flute and piano, the work opens with an "electric moment" that is extended and suspended in time through a series of oscillating, gyrating and highly charged figures. It proceeds with contrast and conflict in the second movement with dark and somewhat ponderous ideas being juxtaposed with bell-like and lyrical ones. The third movement is characterized by an abundance of elongated, lyrical ideas moving gingerly over shifting harmonies. The fourth movement is exploited and exaggerated. The work closes with a bittersweet quality that begins in a dirge-like fashion and ends in a reposeful manner with a touch of melancholy. In the fiery opening, the ensemble playing is as tight as a timpani. Despite Paulus' evocative and reductive movement titles (Electric, Dark, Playful, Volatile, Desolate), this is not a programmatic piece. "Electric" may be high strung, but its music evokes the tension simmering under the surface. "Playful" often has a sinister sound, veering into offkey regions more than once. "Volatile" features a charming interplay between piano and ensemble. The disquieting "Desolate" has a Shostakovichian feel, with its strong piano influence and aura of resignation. Flutist Fenwick Smith plays this charming work with elan, as do violist Marcus Thompson and cellist Ronald Thomas. Violinist Lucy Stoltzman is quite bewitching, particularly in "Volatile." Not too many quintets approach Franz Schubert's String Quintet in C-major in scope. When Schubert submitted a poignant string quintet to his publisher in 1827, death was only a month away. Worse still, the work was rejected and not published until 1850. One of the greatest works in chamber music repertoire was never heard by its composer. Instead of the traditional two violas, the quintet has two cellos, which impart an orchestral quality, particularly in the stormy Scherzo. The sublime Adagio has more than enough Weltschmerz, yet violinist Ida Levin attacked the pizzacato interludes with a bit too much spunk. Soon she realized it and fashioned her approach more subtly. There are long anguished silences before the Scherzo breezes in like a breath of Alpine air, boisterous and invigorating. There is one more bout with despair before the finale, a rollicking paean to the indomitable spirit. Throughout the piece the five players do a splendid job, reproducing the caressing intro and dazzling the audience with the dancelike finale. Deborah Boldin (flute), David Leisner (classical guitar), Rafael Popper-Keizer (cello), Scott Woolweaver (viola), Joanna Kurkowicz (violin), Gloria Chien (piano), Nancy Dimock (oboe), Christopher Guzman (piano), Kelli O'Connor (clarinet) First on the program was Nadia Boulanger’s “Trois Pièces”, performed by cellist, Rafael Popper-Keizer and Gloria Chien on piano. Boulanger was possibly the most important teacher of composition of the twentieth century and a strong promoter of cutting edge modern and Renaissance composers. The “Modéré” piece began with a sonorous, plaintive stretch toward meaning with soulful cello, accompanied by subtle piano playing. The deeper range of the cello was particularly satisfying here. The “Sans vitesse et à l’aise” piece had a little lighter motif, shifting from the serious atmosphere of the first piece. The third piece was energetic, percussive and fiery, marked by a fluid sweep of piano and swooping cello, calling to mind a mad tango. This third piece was highlighted by the excellent pairing of the performers. Aaron Copland’s “Quartet for Piano and Strings” came next on the program. The Adagio serio opened with a string duo of viola and violin. A slightly dissonant melody appeared, the pace picking up when cello and piano joined in interesting discord, the melody thrown off center with intensified volume. The melody was grew fractured, leading to an unsettling, questioning musical point of departure. The Allegro guisto movement sped things up, adding more percussion with vigorous strings and broken piano work, a little like we might encounter in Bartok. A very plain spoken violin followed with well played stretches of solo work by each of the other strings. A highly strident “complaint against reality” was etched, preceding a wonderfully played section of very high-pitched violin notes as though the listener encountered a singing voice in the wilderness. The final movement began with a tender, more melodic opening and continued with rich ensemble playing. This composition’s performance was the high point of the evening – rich, foreign-sounding at times and fully engaging. Third on the concert schedule was Ned Rorem’s “Romeo and Juliet”, involving a classical guitar and flute duet. Deborah Boldin’s flute playing was airy, suggesting a bird flying through the atmosphere, involving a neat trilling blur of notes, played in a rapid stream, partnered by David Leisner’s less showy classical guitar. The spareness and breath between sections was enjoyable. Mr. Leisner’s guitar was thoughtful, sometimes hinting at loose fugal construction. There was also at times brilliant flute playing, summoning frenzy, alternating with a lyrical rising into the duo. Though both the flute and guitar performances were excellent, I did feel the composition itself was a little long-winded for this program. Following the intermission, Saint-Säens’ “Caprice on Danish and Russian Airs” was performed. A short piece, it began dramatically with passion and elegance and a mellifluous interplay of the four instruments. The woodwinds were especially striking. The Caprice alternated with playful and passionate elements. Flute work by Deborah Boldin was bright-toned. Christopher Guzman’s piano contributed lovely rippling sonority. Again, the “Caprice on Danish and Russian Airs” showcased good ensemble work. The last work on the program was Gabriel Fauré’s “Sonata No. 1 in A Major, opus 13.” Joanna Kurkowicz swept into the Allegro molto movement with vigor, creating a gorgeous beginning. Ms. Kurkowicz’s violin caressed the notes with a light touch, showing a balance of passion and discipline. Similarly, the Andante opened darkly lustrous with the sustained gesture of the violin. Gloria Chien’s piano accompaniment was subtle and reflective. Unfortunately, the extreme humidity caused by a solid week of rain storms in Boston took its toll on Ms. Kurkowicz’s Guarnari violin and she was forced to stop for a couple of minutes at the third movement’s beginning. Though this was offputting at first, I found myself able to reconnect with the piece pretty quickly as the re-engaged playing alternated energy with reflection, looking back toward the passion and melancholy of the first two movements. The final Allegro quasi presto movement brought the piece back to deep passion with strong violin and piano. Ms. Kurkowicz’s playing here was superior, showing good dynamic control for the full range of the instrument. Despite a little down time, this was a fine performance, ending an enjoyable evening of music. Deborah Boldin, flute; Vivian Chang-Freiheit, piano; Daniel Chong, violin; Nancy Dimock, oboe; Gary Gorczyca, clarinet; Sabrina Learman, soprano; William Manley, percussion; Roberto Poli, piano; Rafael Popper-Keizer, cello; Anna Reinersman, harp; Scott Woolweaver, viola First on the program was Mozart's "Quartet in F Major, K. 370" which opened with a nice blend of the four instruments in the Allegro movement. Violin and viola joined highly fluid oboe and rich throated cello. Daniel Chong joined the Chameleons for this performance. His playing was versatile and very sweet, particularly when he allowed himself a little breathing space to soar. The Adagio movement opened languorously and mournfully with nice oboe flourishes. Deeply felt darker cello joined in; all four instruments contributed to a Schubert-like lyricism in this section of the composition. In the Rondo:Allegro movement, joy and restrained exuberance returned with excellent playing, particularly by Mr. Chong and balance among the other players. Next on the program was Johannes Brahms' chamber masterwork, "Trio in A minor, opus 114". The Allegro movement showcased Rafael Popper Keizer's soulful cello playing with clear awareness of the space between phrases. Gary Gorczyca's lucid clarinet joined in sympathy with the refrain. Roberto Poli's piano was passionate and well matched to the cello. The Adagio started thoughtfully, highlighting the singing quality of the cello, so characteristic of Mr. Popper-Keizer's best work as the cello and clarinet alternated at the forefront of the movement. There was a weighted, profound sadness here. The Andantino grazioso included plucked cello, a simple line by the clarinet, more elaborate piano work like a minor key variation on a child's song, moving toward a large Brahmsian crescendo. The Allegro contained electric quality playing by all three performers. Mr. Poli's piano was excellent. The trio burst open like a large red tulip with a small empire of resplendent sound. A wonderful concert experience. Following the intermission, Scott Woolweaver (viola) and Vivian Chang-Freiheit (piano) performed Paul Hindemith's "Sonata in F Major, opus 11, no. 4". The piece was dark, slightly dissonant and airy at the same time. The melody moved forward, backward and returned to a level of serenity. Modernist elements, occasionally reminiscent of Erik Satie, entered with staccato, increasingly dissonant viola. There was a striking, turbulent, plumed quality of the piano playing which was occasionally a little overbearing for the concert salon space. The percussive, fractured sound of both the piano and viola returned again to the melody and sense of relative calm. Very engaging performance. The modern Italian composer, Luciano Berio"s "Folk Songs" concluded the concert. The composer wrote the piece for soprano and an ensemble of six instruments. Beginning with the two well known American folk songs, "Black is the Color" and "I wonder as I Wander", soprano Sabrina Learman sang with a lovely, sustained voice that was effective with folk style viola and plucked harp, creating a raw sort of Celtic spareness. Other folk songs drawn from Armenia, France and Italy followed, with noteworthy and original performances on "Motettu de Trustura" and "La Fiolaire". Though Ms. Learman's voice was sometimes too large for the performance space, she had a keen sense of the drama inherent in each song and the instrumentalists were spare and plain spoken, appropriate to the songs. Conducted by Benjamin Zander. For his Oration-Concerto Elegiaco, composed in 1930, Frank Bridge quoted British poet Wilfred Owen: "The subject is war and the pity of war. The poetry is in the pity." In this piece, a lyrical solo cello, suggestive of the pastorale, is set against mechanized modern war. The performance began with rumbling drum, woodwinds and cellos, followed by solo cello played by Alexander Baillie. Mr. Baillie's dark melodic, flowing line was then joined by the bassoons. The orchestra continued with measured pacing, with striking embellishment by drums, basses and trumpets. A frenzied ascent by the solo cello followed with greater orchestral volume. Noteworthy here was some particularly expressive playing by the clarinets and oboes. After a musical interlude, the composition became more strident and militaristic. The solo cello detached itself, returning to an introspective, lyrical mode which was joined by the flutes (which perhaps represent nature). The solo cello then became more agitated, including more percussion, bowing and lower register notes. The entire piece is poetic and powerful, a song of the individual soul at odds with mechanized, modern society engaged in war. Though humor is lacking in Oration, irony, despair, passion and beauty are certainly there in abundance. Mr. Baillie's solo cello work was essential to the success of this performance. His sense of dynamics, passionate lyricism and grace sharply contrasted with the orchestral movement and contributed to a moving musical experience.
In Sergei Prokofiev's Symphony 5 in B Flat Major, the Andante opened tranquilly with sweeping strings and introduced the melodic line which in turn was further defined by the horns. The orchestra grew turbulent with emphasis on the horns and bassoons. There was some occasional murkiness in the overlayers of instruments. This was sometimes apparent when the movement grew more dynamic. The tuba's playing was excellent in conjunction with the drums and other percussive instruments. The Allegro moderato began like a runaway horse. There was plenty of imaginative and quick pacing with nice playing by the horns and woodwinds. Unfortunately, I again noticed a slightly brassy ending to the second movement. The third movement or Adagio was terrific. Beautiful string work included dynamic cellos, good shifting from lyricism to a more percussive interlude. The use of the full orchestra suggested a horizon of doom, edge of catastrophe which returned to a transcendent, almost ballet-like form. A good balance between lyrical and dissonant strands. The Allegro giocoso began in a more leisurely fashion with nice cello work, shifting to quicker paced bassoons and violins. Again, there was excellent emphasis on tuba and drums, leading to a solid, q uick paced, percussive conclusion, bringing the symphony back to the B flat major key it began with. With the exception of the occasonial brassiness heard, this was a well wrought performance of the modern Russian masterwork.
Joanna Kurkowicz, violin; Gary Gorczyca, clarinet; Roberto Poli, piano; Deborah Boldin, flute; Joshua Gordon, cello; Gabriel Langfur, trombone; Margaret Phillips, bassoon; Scott Woolweaver, viola; Nancy Dimock, oboe; Alyssa Coffey, horn; Richard Watson, trumpet; Anthony D'Amico, bass; Katherine Winterstein, violinist.. The Chameleons returned to Boston's First and Second Church for this fourth program on their 2004-2005 concert schedule and the acoustics suited them beautifully for this Schubertiade. First performed was John Harbison's November 19, 1828: Hallucination in Four Episodes. The composition was created while Harbison spent time in Genova and was inspired by a book entitled, Theory and Practice, written by Alfred Mann, wherein a lesson Schubert had with the music theorist, Sechter, was described. Harbison very ably and originally links the past and present in his four movement quartet by including dynamic piano, dreamlike strings and the suggestion of Schubert wandering in a hall of mirrors. Pianist Roberto Poli's ruminative piano was joined by violin, viola and cello wherein an aspiring movement was counterposed against a kind of despondency so characteristic of the brooding Schubert. In a hall of mirrors, what is familiar comes to Schubert upside down. The composer then recalls a rondo fragment from 1816 and the quartet becomes more hallucinatory as it proceeds till moving into further darkness. In the fourth movement or Fugue, Joshua Gordon's deeply resonant cello is joined by passionate and excellent ensemble playing. The quartet continues in more formal fugue structure, again showcasing Roberto Poli's fine piano work. This performance of the Harbison quartet was excellent, both dreamlike and measured at the same time, humorous and profound. Edgar Varese's Octandre, a three movement composition for woodwinds, horns, and bass, was next on the bill. The first movement (Assez lent) opened with substantial mystery. The four woodwinds were joined by three horns and a bass. The movement was both dissonant and percussive. The single clarinet cut through a fair amount of cacophony, lending to an unsettling quality. The second movement (Tres vif et nerveux) placed the trombone and trumpet in the foreground against repetitive woodwinds and highly animated flute. The bass entered briefly and darkly, contributing to the composition reminiscent of Stravinsky by virtue of the dissonance and potent stridency. The second movement, in fact, reminded me of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, structurally. The Octandre was very well played by the Chameleons, though oddly, when the flute hit a very high note, my back molar throbbed! Last on the program was Franz Schubert's masterwork, the Octet in F Major, D. 803 in six movements. The Octet opened with majesty and balance. The bassoon (played by Margaret Phillips) was a strong presence and Gary Gorczyca's clarinet playing was fluid, sustained and beautiful. Lyrical strings with nuanced phrasing contributed to the musical flow. Horn and bassoon flourishes extended the musical metaphor. Cello work was lovely. Complex pacing was managed well in the first movement. The second Adagio movement marked possibly the best playing I've ever heard by the Chameleons. A mellifluous opening with bell-like clarinet was joined by subtle violins and cello. The playing here was absolutely first rate, graceful and melodic it should have been recorded. The Allegro vivace movement was spirited and optimistic with spritely violins, threaded with percussive cello. The Andante movement followed, more sedate and stately. Again, Mr. Gorczyca's clarinet work was particularly fine. The composition then moved into a darker stretch of melancholy which shifted back toward the light. The Menuetto included elegant playing by the clarinet and violins, added to by modulated horn and bassoon. The final Andante molto allegro movement opened with rumbling dark bowing by the cello. This complex Schubert Octet was a very satisfying, artfully played piece that showcased the Chameleons' very best ensemble playing. Conducted by Benjamin Zander. Bruckner's symphony stylistically builds blocks of sound using quarter notes and triplets. There are elements of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, some pizzicato and a menacing theme, all interwoven together. The symphony proceeds majestically from key to key. The second movement (Scherzo) builds titanic energy, as Zander said, “like a mighty piston” and two harps are used for the first time with great dramatic effect. The third movement (Adagio) shows Bruckner to be an “adagio composer par excellence”. The Finale movement marks the composition's tortuous movement to a final climax. At the end, the violin section is left with one final gesture. A beautiful, sonorous cadence ends the symphony. The Finale, in fact, joins all four major earlier musical themes in an “exultant affirmation”. Throughout, spiritual renewal is central to Bruckner's vision here and heaven is seen as the natural providence of human existence. Movement one began with a nice building momentum with very strong cello work joined by the violins. A demi-crescendo developed early on, followed by limpid, more tranquil playing. There was brief solo work by the English horns and clarinets. Movement I was noteworthy for a nice hovering quality of the orchestra, like a large soaring bird. There was good tension as the orchestra grew dynamic, interrupted by unexpected interludes of bright playing by the flutes and horns. The Scherzo movement started with great energy and percussive momentum, followed by restraint. Two beautifully played harps introjected a celestial strand at this point. The whole orchestra played particularly well when moving toward a semi-climax. Cosmic forces appeared to be on hand when all the orchestral components came together in a manner not dissimilar to Wagner, though perhaps less grandiose. The Scherzo included marvelous tempo shifts and general playing. The Adagio movement opened with a sweeping, almost languorous mood. Reflective, noble harps re-entered the landscape. Very sonorous violins played, adding a serene overlayer, joined by the cellos. Horns and woodwinds became more engaged as the violins and cellos proceeded with lovely lyricism. A sense of musical wandering continued to build with streaks of bright tonal color. There was a dynamic buildup followed by further restraint and movement away from the musical eye of the storm. Suddenly, we are greeted by a climax section with powerful string work. The orchestra showed well nuanced control at this point, harps and horns particularly noteworthy. In the Finale, a singing quality emerged. The orchestra is energetic and active and played on a grand scale. Ascending chords stretched heavenward before the orchestra returned to a calmer, more open space. As before, the percussive and lyrical alternated. Sweeping strings and woodwinds were strong at this point. As typical with Bruckner, there was an ascent and deconstruction from the climactic, played respectfully and powerfully by the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. This performance was a triumphant and joyous experience for this reviewer. There's never a flat moment with Bruckner! And the orchestral playing was excellent that night. Spacious-melody techniques, changing key notation, multiple climax points. What a large cosmos is developed here! As Michael Steinberg commented in the concert's program notes in “the very last bar of the symphony is a musical figure found in the symphony's first phrase,” like the universe reflected in a single drop of rain. Deborah Boldin (flute), Gloria Chien (piano), Vivan Chang-Freiheit (piano), Joanna Kurkowicz (violin), Rafael Popper-Keizer (cello), and Anna Reinersman (harp). First on the program was Boston composer, Alan Hovhaness' "Garden of Adonis", opus 245. It opened with shimmering, constant playing by the harp, joined by reflective flute playing, a lovely opening by Deborah Boldin and Anna Reinersman. The second movement featured a luminous and more percussive harp, accompanied by fluid flute with an Asian melodic line. The fourth movement began with a breathy, bird-like flute, settling back into a dreamy duet. The entire composi tion was very enjoyable, linking a new classical form to world music with a multicultural panorama; multiple rhythms and complex melodies were very much part of its success. Ernest Bloch's Sonata Number 2, "Poeme Mystique", was next. Fantastic sweeping violin played by Johanna Kurkowicz suggested a spiritual ascent, twisting and turning virtuosically, accompanied by Gloria Chien's subtle, fluid piano playing. The violin played in a haunting upper register with unpredictable movement into a more frenzied pace. There was excellent piano understatement. Ms. Kurkowicz played with masterful technique and good sense of breath between the notes. The pairing between violin and piano lent strongly to the composition's dynamic stretch between soulful, profound lyrical depth and the simpler melodic sections. A very satisfying performance, indeed. Next was Israeli composer, Tamara Muskal's "Dmamah" (Absolute Silence), played by flute, cello and piano. The piece opened with a percussive "slap in the face" followed by the entrance of a nervous cello and unsettled flute. Repetitive piano and cello were joined by flute that sounded like an angry bird. There were elements of a dissonant tango and interesting fusion points where the instruments appeared to melt into each other. The cello briefly basked in a little gypsy flare, joined by the other players. The composition ended with a repetitive, jarring screech, resembling an air raid siren, repeated by the flute and piano. This reviewer found this composition to be an interesting piece by a young composer trying to portray deep and global angst. Unfortunately, its various musical elements did not work. Instead of Messiaen's "Chants de Terre et de Ciel", Ken Sullivan's "Irish Lullabye" played next. At first this reviewer was disappointed that the Messiaen would not be included due to Sabrina Learman's illness but I was pleased to note that the Irish Lullabye was a mellifluous and enjoyable alternative. There was a wonderful punctuated section followed by a shaded chord-like interval including thoughtful playing on the harp. Many variations on the theme were involved in this tribute to the blind composer's brother's death. Finally, it was time for Beethoven's Trio in D Major, opus 70, number 1 (the "Ghost"). It began in turbulent, passionate allegro vivace, all instruments playing full throttle. The cello and violin especially were sonorous. The piano showed good pacing and intonation with nice dark and light contrast. The second movement included funereal pacing by the piano. Thoughtful lyrical cello was joined by mournful violin. The cello (as played by Rafael Popper-Keizer) was central to this movement and indeed showed more comprehensive understanding of Beethoven's emotional darkness than did the other two instruments. With the third movement, the trio shifted sharply from the lubugrious to the vital. The third movement, in fact, marked the best ensemble playing in the piece. Bold strokes by cello and violin and strong piano contributed to its singing quality. Pianist Gloria Chien included lovely glissandi in her playing, contributing to a successful performance of this masterpiece. Conducted by Benjamin Zander. With pianist Kevin Cole Ravel’s La Valse and choreographic poem opened with an
ominous rumble as a phantasmagorical waltz strand moved through
a swirl of woodwinds and strings. The waltz suddenly got very
brassy and then moved off center again. It swelled in an abrupt
crescendo with lots of drums. There was lovely flute and clarinet
introjection as the waltz became more mainstream before it again
grew dark and expressionistic. Ominous “wind” swooshed
through, followed by a brief, bright horn solo. The waltz then
accelerated in speed like an out of control record, spinning into
space. A very satisfying and exciting performance. Next was Gershwin’s Concerto in F which opened on a very
jazzy phrase with bassoons and strings. From the first notes played
by pianist, Kevin Cole, the audience knew it was in for a noteworthy
performance involving nuanced, subtle Gershwin interpretation.
Cole had an impeccable way of anticipating notes, adding greatly
to the jazzy orchestra accompanying him. Movement one was dotted
with lovely glissandi through which Cole showed a lot of versatility
and confidence. He was not afraid to alternate playing in the
forefront and letting the orchestra take over when appropriate.
His left handed playing was especially strong. Movement two began
with a sinuous trumpet solo picked up by the woodwinds. The horn
and woodwinds mimic each other till the piano entered on a jaunty
phrase. The first violin played a brief lyrical solo, followed
by the return of the trumpet, playing with mournfully bright notes
like a cloudy New York morning. There was very elegant piano work
with a real sense of “breath” and life force. Pyrotechnics
opened movement three. There was a very urban feel to this, strengthened
again by Mr. Cole’s left handed playing and a heart wrenching
return to the principal melody with the full orchestra. A wonderful
performance of the concerto which was followed by an unexpected
and syncopated encore by Mr. Cole of Gershwin’s piano piece,
“Fascinatin’ Rhythm.” The final composition on the program was Stravinsky’s Petrushka
which opened with a very animated full orchestra. We’re
introduced to the fair, the signature flute and dancers. When
the puppets first appear, there is wonderful solo violin work
mixed in with lots of percussion. Emotional turbulence and confusion
emerged through dissonance. There was very nice horn work when
the ballerina puppet held a trumpet and danced for the Moor puppet.
A dissonant waltz was very appealing, suggesting something larger
than what it represented in itself. There were wonderful folk-based
motifs and a striking dance involving a large bear lumbering through
the fair. A devil danced with the masquers dressed as pigs. The
music was dark and lively, cosmic at times and well played by
the Boston Philharmonic. When Petrushka’s ghost rose above
the theatre, mocking the magician, an excellent trumpet solo followed.
We were left to wonder just what is magical and what is real in
the world, a much more philosophical question than what is suggested
on the surface here. Though the performance of the Stravinsky
was very good, I did not feel it quite meshed with the other two
shorter and freer form compositions on the program. Perhaps this
was due to the highly structured nature of the Stravinsky work
and its relentlessly intellectual nature. In any case, it was
well performed and individual soloists such as the trumpet, bassoon,
flute and piano were excellent. Deborah Boldin (flute), Gloria Chien, Nancy Dimock (oboe),
Gary Gorczyca (clarinet), Joshua Gordon (cello), Joanna Kurkowicz
(violin), Sabrina Learman (soprano), Margaret Phillips (bassoon),
Roberto Poli (piano), Kenneth Pope (horn), Katherine Winterstein
(violin), Scott Woolweaver (viola). Farrenc’s “Sextet in C minor” opened the program with nice woodwind
playing by flutist Deborah Boldin backed by piano and clarinet.
There was a latter day Romantic feeling to the composition – each
instrument answered by the others – and a sustained richness reminiscent
of Schubert’s chamber music. The second movement of the piece
was more sedate, linking oboe, flute and clarinet. The clarinet,
in particular, was lovely and mournful. The third movement returned
to more turbulent, Schubert-like dynamics, led forward by the
excellent piano playing of Gloria Chien.
The Saariaho composition, “Je sens un deuxième coeur”, was written
last year in five parts. The cello began with heart beat like
notes followed by minimal violin bowing and strange echo-like
effect of
What better way to start a new season than by featuring three winners? In spotlighting early Beethoven, late Schubert, and middle Paulus, the Boston Chamber Music Society took the audience on a ride that had to have been the highlight of their weekends.
CHAMELEON ARTS ENSEMBLE Performs "Une Musique Sans Commencement ni Fin"
October 8, 2005
The eighth season of the Chameleon Arts Ensemble opened once more at the elegant and historical Göethe Institut in downtown Boston. It was a great pleasure to enter the concert space on a dismally rainy Saturday evening. Gabriel Langfur, Managing Director of the Chameleons, welcomed the audience by indicating that this concert would look both forward and backward, showing the power of history to link student and teacher in a direct line from Saint Säens and Fauré to Nadia Boulanger, Aaron Copland and Ned Rorem.
CHAMELEON ARTS ENSEMBLE Performs "WHILE OUR MUSIC, WILD AND SWEET"
May 14, 2005
Back in the smaller but lovely Goethe-Institut, the Chameleon Arts Ensemble performed their final concert of the 2004-2005 season. Diverse and exciting, the program ranged from the classical to romantic, modern and world music periods Both ensemble playing and solo parts were among the best this reviewer has heard in the past two years of regularly attending the Chameleon Arts Ensemble concerts. As usual, Rafael Popper Keizer and Gary Gorczyca played admirably. Daniel Chong, violinist, joined the group for this concert, and he added versatility and lovely playing to the Mozart Quartet.
Boston Philharmonic Performs Prokofiev's Fifth Symphony
May 1, 2005
This concert, entitled "War and Peace," marked the final concert of the 2004-2005 season performed by the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. As is typically the case, the program choices were varied and consistently engaging, including works by three modern composers: Penderecki, Frank Bridge, and Prokofiev. The concert included noteworthy solo cello work of Alexander Baillie who accompanied the orchestra on Bridge's Oration and Concerto Elegiaco. Mr. Baillie's playing was lyrical and deeply emotional, in contrast to the orchestral theme of mechanized war. Additional excellent solo "strands" included the trumpets, drums and tuba in the Prokofiev symphony. First on the program was Krzysztof Pendereciki's Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima, composed in 1960. Penderecki was a 12 year old child in Poland at the end of World War II who had experienced great trauma during his youth. His Threnody consequently is a song of lamentation for the dead and casualties of war. The composition requires a peculiar definition of orchestra Each of the fifty two stringed instruments plays its own part instead of playing in unison. The instruments' sounds tend to resemble the effects of the bombs dropping with no harmonies or melodies. Instead, timbre assumes priority as instruments play the edges of sound. Glissando and complex rhythms are essential. The Boston Philharmonic started their performance with a shriek of strings followed by staccato, percussive movement lending to a windy landscape haunted by sirens and discomfort, a "tilted" sense of musical reality. Private images float through our collective consciousness water falls, a bus turns over, walls of a school cave in. With the suggestion of animals torn asunder, the whole orchestra becomes totally charged. This performance contained marvelous modulation, profound sense of loss, consistently good movement from diminuendo to full orchestral volume. Penderecki's use of cluster pitches separated by quarter tones was powerful, painful and transcendent, suspending the listener in the morass of atomized matter and spiritual anguish. A beautiful achievement.
Chameleon Arts Ensemble Performs "One deep chord gave answer - A Chameleon Schubertiade"
April 2, 2005
Boston Philharmonic Performs Bruckner's Eighth Symphony
February 12, 2005
Boston Philharmonic Orchestra's conductor, Benjamin Zander, prepared the audience for composer Anton Bruckner's symphonic masterpiece, Eighth Symphony in C minor, by distinguishing Bruckner from Gustav Mahler. He contrasted their senses of the cosmos. While Mahler introspectively dealt with the “drawing room”, Bruckner “dealt with the cathedral”. In typically enthusiastic and informed style, Zander spoke of Bruckner's historical context. Many critics during his lifetime did not know what to make of him. One, in fact, said his music was the “anti-musical ravings of a half wit”. Brahms, too, made highly derogatory comments, perhaps based on some form of rivalry. The modern audience now needs patience to listen to him which is, in turn, rewarded by leaps and bounds with his tremendously original vision, anachronistic musical notation, and enormous energy. CHAMELEON ARTS ENSEMBLE Perform “MYSTIC MOONS AND DREAM MUSIC”
February 5, 2005
This third concert in the 2004-2005 series was again held in the beautiful and historic Goethe-Institut, noteworthy for its excellent acoustics and intimate seating. Boston
Philharmonic Performs Stravinsky, Ravel, Gershwin
November 20, 2004
Conductor Benjamin Zander started out this performance of Twentieth
century orchestral masterpieces, stating that “Each work
(on the program) has a different color and demands a different
posture” on the part of both the conductor and individual
orchestral instrumentalists. Stravinsky’s Petrushka announced
the beginning of the Twentieth century, using folk motifs and
radical dissonance. It incorporated a short piano concerto, polyrhythms,dissonance
and bitonality and was built around a conflict between magic and
the real world–its philosophical meaning much more profound
than the story of a Russian winter fair and three puppets. Ravel’s
waltz using an homage to Johann Strauss builds on a continuous
crescendo, and moves toward light from lugubriousdarkness. There’s
a dance of death in it, a pull toward Armageddon–the tension
between the elegant waltz and chaos sustains its art.George Gershwin,
American composer extraordinaire, straddled Tin Pan Alley and
the concert hall. The New York Philharmonic Orchestra commissioned
the piano concerto as a classical piece. Within it, there’s
an American blues, trumpet solo and fabulous solo piano work.
Zander’s lecture as usual was both informative and very
enthusiastically imparted to the audience!
CHAMELEON ARTS ENSEMBLE Perform “Behind Me Dips Eternity”
November 5, 2004
Chameleon
Arts Ensemble at the Goethe Institut, Boston, MA – “Behind the
Dip’s Eternity”, November 5, 2004 This second concert of the Chameleon
Arts Ensemble’s 2004 – 2005 season included work by women composers,
ranging from Americans, Amy Beach and Libby Larsen, to Nineteenth
century French composer, Louise Farrenc, and Finnish and Russian
Twentieth century composers, Kaija Saariaho and Galina Ustvolskaya,
respectively. The concert was profound and whimsical, lyrical
and engaging throughout, largely based on both the diversity of
the repertoire and the cohesive ensemble playing by various personnel.