Another triumph on the hill...... (pardon the bad sound)

The Music on the Hill series presented another wonderful concert at Northside Baptist Church.  The artists were Charae Krueger,cello, and Robert Henry, piano.  The concert began with Beethoven's 12 Variations on a theme from Handel's "Judas Maccabaeus."  For anyone who has worked the Suzuki system with their children, this theme is very familiar.  The Variations is a fairly early work of Beethoven's and it contains many baroque references.  As the piece progressed it became more interesting and the soloists seemed to enjoy it.  It was great to hear this music so well played.  Krueger and Henry play well together- their balances seem to be on target and neither drowns out the other.

Three Works for Piano comprised the second section of the program.  Prokofiev's Prelude in C Major began the set.  Robert Henry played the music authoritatively.  Ravel's Jeux d'eau followed.  It  was clear from the outset that Henry is a master of the keyboard.  His fingers skillfully traversed the keyboard, which is essential in this piece.  Ravel included many runs that included the very highest notes on the piano.  Henry never missed the proverbial beat.  Prokofiev's Scherzo and March from "The Love for Three Oranges" was next.  This is familiar music, even if the listener can not quite place where it was heard. It has appeared in the soundtrack of several cartoons, for example.  The orchestral version is rich, in part because of Prokofiev's strong orchestration.  Henry's command of his instrument enabled him to bring the same kind of color with just his keyboard.  Henry closed this section with his composition called "Waltz", based on a theme by Chet Akins.

The final portion of the of the first half of the concert was Chopin's Polonaise Brillante.  Again, Henry was in top form and provided a rich and powerful performance.

The second half of the concert featured Chopin's Cello sonata in G minor.  This is a stunning exploration of the composer's despair over his separation from George Sand.  The piece begins with heart achingly beautiful music that reflects the composer's loss and subsequent pain.  The second movement, in ABA form, begins with an angry waltz followed by more music about love lost, with a final return to the hard-edged waltz. The thisr movement is a gentle reflection of the composer's feelings, as if time had almost healed the loss, without taking the love. The final movement had a very different character.  the mood was lighter, yet always beautiful, as we expect from Chopin.  Henry and Krueger played this music so effectively.  Ms. Krueger exploits the full range of her instrument's dynamics, from pianissimo to fortissimo.  She can dig into the strings without sounding excessively growly  or out of control.  Mr. Henry again gave a standout performance. He moves easily from being an accompanist, to a soloist, to one member of the dialogue between his instrument and the cello.

This was another in the series of triumphs by this intimate series of chamber works.  I am very gratified to be able to hear such top echelon perfromances in such a wonderful acoustic space.

For information about the schedule for Music on the Hill, click here: http://www.musiconthehill.info/concert-schedule/

Another Rewarding "Music on the Hill" performance

“The Music on the Hill” series at Northside Baptist Church present a series of trios performed by Olga Shpiko (violin), Yang-Yoon Kim (viola), and Jennifer Humphreys (cello).

The program consisted of:

Beethoven- String Trio Op. 9 No. 3 in C minor

Ramirez- Trajetas Latinas (world premier)

Dohnanyi- Serenade in C for String Trio

This was another recital that played to the acoustical strength of the Northside Baptist Chapel, which is perfectly suited for the viola and cello.  Their warmth is complemented by the warmth of the sound environment in the church. 

The Beethoven is a fairly early work in the master’s composing career. These three young artists had a few intonation problems, insecure rhythm, and bowing problems in the first movement, but once they warmed up, they played the beautiful lyrical adagio with wonderful tone and ensemble.  The third movement Scherzo also had a bit of unsteady playing that again to lead into a masterful performance of the Presto finale.

The Juan Ramirez-Hernandez “Tarjetas Latinas” was played, with the composer’s consent, with the second movement first.  Since this was a world premiere, there seemed to be eager anticipation in the audience. Ramirez’ work did not disappoint.  The music begins with a traditional yet dark and melodic lullaby.  The piece shows-off the warm and somewhat sad tones of the cello and viola.  Both were played eloquently by Humphreys and Kim.  The first movement, here played secondly, is a strong-dance rooted piece with rhythmic bowing and percussive sound effects.   Ms. Humphreys even played the part of a drummer on the body of her instrument.  The work uses pizzicato, quickly followed by bowing.  Both the left and right hands of the players are kept very busy in this piece, which reflects a mix of Cuban and African styles. 

Composer Ramirez was in attendance and signaled his pleasure with his Atlanta Symphony colleagues on their performance.

 

The final work on the program was the Dohnanyi Serenade.  It is a lovely piece from a composer is rarely heard these days.  He composed in a style heavily influenced by Brahms and the fourth movement andante is sumptuous with languorous melodies. The trio played brilliantly.    Dohnanyi’s music would appear on my list of composers of whom I would like to hear more. 

Hearing the Serenade reminded of my sixth grade English teacher, Mr. Myers.   He was a dedicated instructor who thought nothing of standing up on his desk while reading Macbeth.  He let the class know early on that his favorite composer was none other than Dohnanyi.  One day he was so inspired that he brought his cello to class and played along with a recording one of the composer’s pieces.   I appreciate Mr. Myers now more than ever. 

The next “Music on the Hill” concert will be on March 4 at 3:00pm.  Works by Chopin and Beethoven comprise the program.