Post by egoodstein on Jul 20, 2015 1:02:08 GMT -5
This year, for a variety of reasons, we’re only able to make it to a few of the concerts for the 13th season for this local chamber music festival in Menlo Park, CA, near our home. But I will still do these little articles about ones we attend.
The Festival this year is focused on Schubert, featuring many of his works and of course other composers who influenced him, and whom he influenced in turn. The opening concert tonight featured several ‘star’ pieces: Mozart’s String Quartet in D Minor, K. 421 (one of the ones dedicated to Haydn); three famous early Schubert lieder based on Goethe poems: ‘Gretchen am Spinnrade’ (‘Gertrude at the Spinning Wheel’), ‘Erlkonig’ (The ‘Elf-King’), & ‘Die Forelle’ (‘The Trout’); a very early (1811) overture for string quartet; and things closed with the famous ‘Trout’ Quintet. Musicians included the Escher String Quartet on the Mozart & the Overture; soprano Joélle Harvey on the ‘Trout’ and ‘Gretchen’ lieder; baritone Nikolay Borchev on ‘Erlkonig,’ pianists Hyeyoen Park and Jeffrey Kahane; violinist Arnaud Sussmann, violist Sunmi Chang; cellist Keith Robinson; bassist Scott Pingel. Kahane and those last four played the ‘Trout’ quintet.
The Mozart Quartet dates from 1783, and was done just about the same time as the birth of Mozart’s first son, Raimund Leopold, who then unfortunately died a few weeks later. Under Haydn’s influence, the work is mainly dramatic in a minor key, but also has several complex chromatic elements underlying a more sprightly minuet, and a very imposing complex theme and variations towards the end. This is one of the greatest of Mozart’s 6 quartets dedicated to Haydn. The Escher Quartet gave a very distinguished and dramatic reading that really impressed, if less lyrical than some. This was followed by the short Schubert overture, composed when he was only 14. Pretty amazing stuff: like a paraphrase of Mozart’s more dramatic moments, and elements akin to Beethoven’ Egmont overture and a more flowing, lyrical part rather like the ‘Pastoral’ symphony: all in only 9 minutes. There is a certain pastiche, even slightly satirical edge, but plenty of virtuosity required and rendered.
Pianist Park then accompanied Harvey and Borchev respectfully on the Gretchen and Erlkonig lieder. Very nicely rendered in full voiced dramatic fashion, and Borchev was especially exciting I think.
After intermission, an interesting coupling of the short 1817 ‘Trout’ lied sung by Harvey (w. Jeffrey Kahane on piano), and the 1819 Trout Quintet, based in part on the song melody. Both done in a fairly stalwart dramatic fashion, but the ‘shimmering’ fun and lyrical aspects shown through too. The Quintet especially is brimming with so many exciting and intricate melodic and highly crafted elements that mesh brilliantly. Easy to see why this work has remained so popular, and indeed influenced so much chamber music afterward. An interesting evening of well-known and really imposing and fun chamber pieces. We will make it to the next concert too, so I’ll report from that one mid-week. There’s much more to the festival than just these main concerts, as it is a short-term chamber conservatory too, and includes lectures and allied events. To learn more and also hear more (most of main concerts will be available on American Public Media’s ‘Performance Today’), check out website; www.music@menlo.org .
The Festival this year is focused on Schubert, featuring many of his works and of course other composers who influenced him, and whom he influenced in turn. The opening concert tonight featured several ‘star’ pieces: Mozart’s String Quartet in D Minor, K. 421 (one of the ones dedicated to Haydn); three famous early Schubert lieder based on Goethe poems: ‘Gretchen am Spinnrade’ (‘Gertrude at the Spinning Wheel’), ‘Erlkonig’ (The ‘Elf-King’), & ‘Die Forelle’ (‘The Trout’); a very early (1811) overture for string quartet; and things closed with the famous ‘Trout’ Quintet. Musicians included the Escher String Quartet on the Mozart & the Overture; soprano Joélle Harvey on the ‘Trout’ and ‘Gretchen’ lieder; baritone Nikolay Borchev on ‘Erlkonig,’ pianists Hyeyoen Park and Jeffrey Kahane; violinist Arnaud Sussmann, violist Sunmi Chang; cellist Keith Robinson; bassist Scott Pingel. Kahane and those last four played the ‘Trout’ quintet.
The Mozart Quartet dates from 1783, and was done just about the same time as the birth of Mozart’s first son, Raimund Leopold, who then unfortunately died a few weeks later. Under Haydn’s influence, the work is mainly dramatic in a minor key, but also has several complex chromatic elements underlying a more sprightly minuet, and a very imposing complex theme and variations towards the end. This is one of the greatest of Mozart’s 6 quartets dedicated to Haydn. The Escher Quartet gave a very distinguished and dramatic reading that really impressed, if less lyrical than some. This was followed by the short Schubert overture, composed when he was only 14. Pretty amazing stuff: like a paraphrase of Mozart’s more dramatic moments, and elements akin to Beethoven’ Egmont overture and a more flowing, lyrical part rather like the ‘Pastoral’ symphony: all in only 9 minutes. There is a certain pastiche, even slightly satirical edge, but plenty of virtuosity required and rendered.
Pianist Park then accompanied Harvey and Borchev respectfully on the Gretchen and Erlkonig lieder. Very nicely rendered in full voiced dramatic fashion, and Borchev was especially exciting I think.
After intermission, an interesting coupling of the short 1817 ‘Trout’ lied sung by Harvey (w. Jeffrey Kahane on piano), and the 1819 Trout Quintet, based in part on the song melody. Both done in a fairly stalwart dramatic fashion, but the ‘shimmering’ fun and lyrical aspects shown through too. The Quintet especially is brimming with so many exciting and intricate melodic and highly crafted elements that mesh brilliantly. Easy to see why this work has remained so popular, and indeed influenced so much chamber music afterward. An interesting evening of well-known and really imposing and fun chamber pieces. We will make it to the next concert too, so I’ll report from that one mid-week. There’s much more to the festival than just these main concerts, as it is a short-term chamber conservatory too, and includes lectures and allied events. To learn more and also hear more (most of main concerts will be available on American Public Media’s ‘Performance Today’), check out website; www.music@menlo.org .
