Above: composer Eric Ewazen
Author: Oberon
Sunday March 27th, 2022 matinee - I always enjoy the Philharmonic Ensembles series at Merkin Hall, and I was very glad to be there this afternoon for an excellent program. The players of the New York Philharmonic love playing chamber music together when time allows, and this afternoon's lineup of artists was really impressive.
Composer Eric Ewazen greeted us prior to the program's opening work: his Ballade, Pastorale, and Dance for the unusual combination of flute, horn, and piano. The last time I heard an Ewazen score was in 2018, when the composer's violin concerto was used by the great choreographer Paul Taylor for his last major work: Concertiana. Today, introducing his Ballade, Pastorale and Dance, Mr. Ewazen touched on his Ukrainian heritage, and then the performance began.
For the Ewazen trio, the tall and distinguished pianist William Wolfram (above) was joined by the Philharmonic's stellar flautist Mindy Kaufman, and the orchestra's current Acting Associate Principal Horn, the radiant Leelanee Sterrett.
The opening Ballade begins with a darkish motif from the piano, soon joined by the mellow depth of the horn and the gleaming upper range of the flute. The blend of these three voices was really delectable, making me wish other composers would write for this particular combination. From a long flute trill and spiraling piano figurations, the music turns animated, and then calms for a really gorgeous andante. Then another burst of vigor, and another contrasting slower passage before a brisk final statement.
Rippling sounds from Mr. Wolfram keyboard introduced a lovely Pastorale theme from Ms. Sterrett's horn, which is then harmonized by Ms. Kaufman's flute. Here, the contrast between burnished richness of the horn with the silvery sweetness of the flute truly delighted the ear. Lovely phrases follow, one after another, and then Ms. Sterrett's horn sings a lyrical theme over the warbling flute and the piano's arpeggios. A feeling of hope seems to rise within us as the Ballade reaches its solemn end.
With sparkling sounds from Ms. Kaufman's flute, and with Mr. Wolfram's piano sounding in the upper octaves, we are ready to Dance. Ms. Sterrett's summoning horn draws us in to this lively and tuneful music, which gets quite grand as the work comes to its close. Such a unique treat this music is! Other choreographers might do well to follow Paul Taylor's lead and have a listen to Mr. Ewazen's music.
More music I'd never heard before - Igor Stravinsky's Octet for Winds - came next. For this, a brilliant ensemble drawn from the ranks of the Philharmonic's wind sections were gathered: Robert Langevin, flute; Pascual Martínez Forteza, clarinet; bassoonists Judith LeClair and Kim Laskowski; trumpeters Christopher Martin and Thomas Smith, with Colin Williams on trombone and George Curran on bass-trombone. Mr. Langevin, in his introductory remarks, told us a story about a dream Stravinsky had had in which this particular set of instruments were playing together, and he wrote this octet to try to capture what he'd heard in his dream.
The Octet is in three movements, though there was no discernible break between the second and third. A trumpet note introduces the Sinfonia, followed by a blending of woodwind voices. The full ensemble engage in music that is wittily paced and harmonized. A brassy march springs up, with trumpet calls and chuckling bassoons. The Sinfornia comes to a sudden halt.
The Theme and Variations, which runs directly into the Finale, starts out with plodding brass and unison woodwinds; they then switch roles. Scurrying bassoons herald a military brass band passing by, and everyone falls in. Suddenly, I hear a waltz, with Mssrs. Langevin and Martínez Forteza taking the lead. Brilliant rhythms briefly take over, then there's a slow bassoon passage, taken up by the clarinet and the brass. The music becomes chorale-like, before the flute and clarinet have a dialogue. The bassoons, sounding jolly, are joined by the clarinet; shifting rhythms carry us to the Octet's finish.
The afternoon's program ended with a magnificent performance of Antonín Dvořák's beloved Piano Quintet in A-major, Op. 81, one of his most familiar and oft-played works. The musicians here were violinists Kuan Cheng Lu and Su Hyun Park, violist Rebecca Young, and cellist Ru-Pei Yeh, with Mr. Wolfram returning to the piano. Ms. Young introduced the piece, and then took up her viola to regale us in the numerous opportunities Dvořák provides for the instrument. Kuan Cheng Lu played the many magical violin melodies with Olde World sweetness, warmth, and emotion; and the composer has also been generous to the second violinist: Su Hyun Park, playing beautifully this afternoon. And the cello is prominent throughout, with Ru-Pei Yeh providing cordial tone and rhythmic finesse. At the piano, Mr. Wolfram sustained the excellent impression he made in the Ewazen, making me wish to hear him in a solo recital.
The applause throughout the afternoon was rather subdued; the audience consisted largely of senior citizens (anyone older than me is a senior citizen!) and perhaps they lack the stamina to clap for a long time. I honed my applauding skills during the 20-minute ovations that often ensued during the last Golden Age at the opera, which ended years ago. These days, applause lasting more than five minutes is extremely rare. Well, we live in different times now: everyone's constantly in a rush - to get to the theatre, and then to get home. As my commadre used to say, "No time for love."
~ Oberon