~ Author: Oberon
Saturday July 27th, 2024 - The final offering of Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center's 2024 Summer Evenings series took place tonight at Alice Tully Hall. After a long lunch with friends, where some very serious topics were discussed, I was in a pensive mood when we arrived at the hall. The light, decorative music of Ludwig van Beethoven's Serenade in D-major for Flute, Violin, and Viola, Op. 25, written in 1801, was not a good match for me today, feeling a need for something darker and more soulful.
Nevertheless, the playing was charming and, as the piece progressed, there was much to admire. It kicks off with a reveille, only it's Tara Helen O'Connor's flute that's sending out a wake-up call rather than a bugle. Ms. O'Connor's playing was at its most limpid throughout the suite. ln the songlike second movement, a minuet, her playing was elegant, whilst violinist Aaron Boyd and violist James Thompson provided echo effects. The Allegro molto shifts between major and minor modes.
Sweet harmonies fill the Andante, with its contrasting animated interlude, following by a scurrying Allegro scherzando. The final movement begins as an Adagio but soon transforms into an Allegro vivace, with lively playing from the three artists.
Franz Schubert's Rondo in A-major for Violin and String Quartet, D. 438, dating from 1816, did not provide a contrast to the pleasantness of the Beethoven, though again it was beautifully played by soloist Sean Lee and a quartet made up of Cho-Liang Lin, Aaron Boyd, James Thompson, and Nicholas Canellakis.
Sean Lee's playing was spot-on, with touches of rubato, and the ensemble cushioned his playing perfectly, grounded by Nick Canellakis's ever-velvety tone.
Following the interval, Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst's demanding Grand Caprice on Schubert's “Erlkönig” for Violin, Op. 26, was given a spirited rendering by Sean Lee, though perfect clarity was sometimes missing.
The concert ended with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Quintet in C- major for Two Violins, Two Violas, and Cello, K. 515, dating from 1787; it was here that I found my center with music more weighted and suitable to my mood. Cho-Liang Lin's silvery, shining tone was exquisite, his phrasing thoughtful and so polished. Nick Canellakis savoured every phrase of the cello part, as the opening Allegro progressed with a rich blend of voices in the melodic flow, over a rhythmic pulse.
In the Minuetto, Mssrs. Thompson and Boyd engaged in a friendly duel with their violas, and the music at times had a curiously brooding feeling. The cello patterns bring a restless feeling into play, enhanced by the heartfelt Canellakis timbre.
The Andante is classic Mozart: achingly lovely, with James Thompson's viola prominent and Mr. Lin spinning out a sweet theme, and - later - a mini-cadenza. This music is so engaging. The final Allegro, with Mr. Lin's playing in high relief, brought the evening to a spirited ending, thanks to the enduring grace of Mozart.
So ended an unusual experience for me, wherein I strove to adjust my own state of mind to the program on offer; this had only happened to me a few times over the years - and mainly at the opera - where you have a ticket for ELISIR D'AMORE but are really in the mood for WOZZECK...or vice versa.
~ Oberon