Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival: Performance 1
I’ve long thought that one of the “Crown Jewels” of Charlottesville is the Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival. Now in its seventh season, I’ve often used it as an example when I’m explaining to visitors what’s unique about Charlottesville, such as when I had a little time with Christine Todd Whitman last year.
The Jefferson Theater downtown, now undergoing renovation, has been the home of the Festival since its inception. The 2006 edition opened on Sunday, this year at Old Cabell Hall.
The performance opened with Mozart’s energetic Piano Trio in E Major. While much of Mozart is fun, but lightweight, this Trio is richly textured and layered with complexity. Festival co-founders Tim Summers (Violin) and Raphael Bell (Cello), joined by Benjamin Hochman (piano), brought the Trio to life. Summers, in particular, sparkled, dancing on top of Hochman’s forward movement.
The energy of the Trio was a perfect lead-in to Korean composer (and political activist) Isang Yun’s Together, as classically modern as the Trio is classically Mozart. Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto and Norwegian double bass player Knut-Erik Sundquist introduced the piece in some depth, although with a rapport and timing that would lead someone to wonder if these guys were also moonlighting as a stand-up comedy team. The truth, though, is that this was their first performance together.
In the end, Kuusisto and Sundquist should keep up the partnership, because the result was stunning. Together isn’t a particularly accessible piece of music, but the duo did a great job with it. In particular, they took great advantage of the dynamic range that’s available on Old Cabell, ranging from lean-forward soft to in-your-face loud. (Well, in-your-face loud for a pair of unamplified instruments, anyway.) For my money, it was the best piece of the afternoon.
During the introduction for Together, Kuusisto pre-announced their encore: a Swedish folksong. When it came, it was pure fun, a bookend counterbalancing the weight of Yun’s piece. Kuusisto, in what appeared to be black running shoes, channeled Boyd Tinsley while Sundquist — remindful of Paul McCartney — laid down a jazzy supporting groove. It’s not what you expect at a chamber music concert, but it sure did work.
After halftime, all five musicians sat down to one of the best known pieces of chamber music, Schubert’s Quintet in A Major, otherwise known as the “Trout”. Clearly the most anticipated of all of the program’s selections, I thought it was the weakest piece of the concert. While the Quintet started technically well, it took most of the first movement before the performers seemed to be on the same page expressively. Once that happened, though, the five sailed through the Quintet, to the obvious delight of the 400-odd audience members.
I’m not sure if the Festival could have gotten off to a better start. The 2006 Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival continues Thursday, September 14 at Old Cabell Hall. If you even have a passing interest in classical music, you’ll do well to take in a performance or two. Tickets are $16/$22 (or for students, a steal at $6) and can be purchased from the Box Office in Old Cabell Hall: 434.924.3984.
