Post by egoodstein on Jul 30, 2015 1:42:08 GMT -5
We missed a concert last weekend, as away locally. That one among other things featured the very distinctive Schubert Octet for strings and winds.. Tonight’s
concert subtitled ‘Hopeful Years’ focused on 1825-mid-1826, when Schubert was relatively well: the gloomy outlook of his struggle with syphilis seemed
more hopeful. Performers included: pianist Gilbert Kalish, accompanying baritone Nikolay Borchev in 4 short lieder; violinists Philip Setzer and Danbi Um, violists Paul Neubauer and Sunni Chang, and cellist David Finckel playing Mozart’s Quintet for two violas, two violins and cello, K. 406 (1782, arr. 1787); and the Escher String Quartet playing Schubert’s final quartet, in G Minor.
Borchev and Kalish started things off with the lieder. These included three interesting ones drawn from Shakespeare (translated into German): ‘(Who is) Sylvia’ from Two Gentlemen of Verona, ‘Standchen,’ drawn from ‘Cymbeline’ (‘Hark hark the lark at Heaven’s gate. . .), and a very brief, boisterous drinking song, drawn from ‘Anthony and Cleopatra.’ These are bright-hued and robust, but still with complicated piano parts to show other layers at work. The fourth lied ‘Die Allmacht’ is a hymn/sacred song which celebrates God’s gift of nature. As written on extended holiday by the composer then, it’s a nice example of the ‘pantheistic’ nature of poetry and music that was in vogue in Germany/Austria in those years. Borchev has really sung a lot in several concerts here (including at some smaller events through the festival). So his voice did show a few strains, but still exemplary communication, and Kalish was terrific.
Next came the Mozart Quintet, with odd pairing of violas and violins. This was transcribed from an earlier (1782) wind instrument serenade in 1787, a time when Mozart badly needed funds and hoped for a large subscription of it. That didn’t happen; but the piece is a marvelous example of how he transformed a ‘simple’ form into a quite complex one. The violas and cello added dark tones and timbres that are fully realized in the score. So while many bright aspects, contrast of more somber undertones give it kinship with nearly contemporaneous late piano concertos (say 25/26) or even the Prague Symphony and Marriage of Figaro about then. The players generally opted for fairly quick pacing, but leaving plenty of drama in, and especially the distinct sounds of the two violas were
impressive.
Final work was the fantastically difficult and impressive Schubert G Minor Quartet. He wrote this in mid-1826, just as his ‘idyll’ of good health was coming to an
end. Also, he had recently heard the Mozart Quintet, so in some ways is his attempt to ‘reply’ to that, keeping in mind the influence of Beethoven, especially such works as Beethoven’s dramatic op. 130 Quartet, and the earlier (1806) very ‘classic/heroic era’ Razumovsky quartets. The powerful 1st movement of this Schubert was heard in 1828 at a concert commemorating the year anniversary of Beethoven’s death, though the whole work wasn’t published until 1851, 23 years after Schubert’s own death. (Almost all of Schubert’s work was published posthumously).
The first movement (and to some extent echoed in the 4th, last movement) has noteworthy complex tremolos that are extended and change harmonies and chords throughout., and all the instruments take them in turns and also together. There’re moments that seem like thunder/storms (akin to the ‘storm’ sequence of Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, if played on 4 string instruments of course). Elsewhere the third, Scherzo, movement has a neat tension between a very classical sounding ‘minuettish’ melody and more robust feelings. The seeming lightheartedness of the final movement actually brings in several themes/ideas of earlier, if in different combinations and guises, so a lot of light and dark happening. In short, this amazing quartet looks back to the grandeur of Beethoven, and in the clever use of arpeggio and tremolo, forward to Mendelssohn. And yet of course distinctive. A work to stand with the slightly later ‘Great’ C Major Symphony,’ and the Piano Sonata also in G Major, from around this same time. The Escher String Quartet played their hearts out here, and this exciting work and performance were definitely a highlight of the Festival so far.
concert subtitled ‘Hopeful Years’ focused on 1825-mid-1826, when Schubert was relatively well: the gloomy outlook of his struggle with syphilis seemed
more hopeful. Performers included: pianist Gilbert Kalish, accompanying baritone Nikolay Borchev in 4 short lieder; violinists Philip Setzer and Danbi Um, violists Paul Neubauer and Sunni Chang, and cellist David Finckel playing Mozart’s Quintet for two violas, two violins and cello, K. 406 (1782, arr. 1787); and the Escher String Quartet playing Schubert’s final quartet, in G Minor.
Borchev and Kalish started things off with the lieder. These included three interesting ones drawn from Shakespeare (translated into German): ‘(Who is) Sylvia’ from Two Gentlemen of Verona, ‘Standchen,’ drawn from ‘Cymbeline’ (‘Hark hark the lark at Heaven’s gate. . .), and a very brief, boisterous drinking song, drawn from ‘Anthony and Cleopatra.’ These are bright-hued and robust, but still with complicated piano parts to show other layers at work. The fourth lied ‘Die Allmacht’ is a hymn/sacred song which celebrates God’s gift of nature. As written on extended holiday by the composer then, it’s a nice example of the ‘pantheistic’ nature of poetry and music that was in vogue in Germany/Austria in those years. Borchev has really sung a lot in several concerts here (including at some smaller events through the festival). So his voice did show a few strains, but still exemplary communication, and Kalish was terrific.
Next came the Mozart Quintet, with odd pairing of violas and violins. This was transcribed from an earlier (1782) wind instrument serenade in 1787, a time when Mozart badly needed funds and hoped for a large subscription of it. That didn’t happen; but the piece is a marvelous example of how he transformed a ‘simple’ form into a quite complex one. The violas and cello added dark tones and timbres that are fully realized in the score. So while many bright aspects, contrast of more somber undertones give it kinship with nearly contemporaneous late piano concertos (say 25/26) or even the Prague Symphony and Marriage of Figaro about then. The players generally opted for fairly quick pacing, but leaving plenty of drama in, and especially the distinct sounds of the two violas were
impressive.
Final work was the fantastically difficult and impressive Schubert G Minor Quartet. He wrote this in mid-1826, just as his ‘idyll’ of good health was coming to an
end. Also, he had recently heard the Mozart Quintet, so in some ways is his attempt to ‘reply’ to that, keeping in mind the influence of Beethoven, especially such works as Beethoven’s dramatic op. 130 Quartet, and the earlier (1806) very ‘classic/heroic era’ Razumovsky quartets. The powerful 1st movement of this Schubert was heard in 1828 at a concert commemorating the year anniversary of Beethoven’s death, though the whole work wasn’t published until 1851, 23 years after Schubert’s own death. (Almost all of Schubert’s work was published posthumously).
The first movement (and to some extent echoed in the 4th, last movement) has noteworthy complex tremolos that are extended and change harmonies and chords throughout., and all the instruments take them in turns and also together. There’re moments that seem like thunder/storms (akin to the ‘storm’ sequence of Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, if played on 4 string instruments of course). Elsewhere the third, Scherzo, movement has a neat tension between a very classical sounding ‘minuettish’ melody and more robust feelings. The seeming lightheartedness of the final movement actually brings in several themes/ideas of earlier, if in different combinations and guises, so a lot of light and dark happening. In short, this amazing quartet looks back to the grandeur of Beethoven, and in the clever use of arpeggio and tremolo, forward to Mendelssohn. And yet of course distinctive. A work to stand with the slightly later ‘Great’ C Major Symphony,’ and the Piano Sonata also in G Major, from around this same time. The Escher String Quartet played their hearts out here, and this exciting work and performance were definitely a highlight of the Festival so far.
