Turina surprises and the Trout inspires at SCMS’s Friday concert

watch yogi bear online dvd

The Seattle Chamber Music Society, and its stable of talented instrumentalists, continued its winter festival this past Friday.  This year, the winter festival is celebrating the 200th anniversary of Robert Schumann’s birthday. The classical proportioned Second Piano Trio was the Schumann selection on Friday night. On either side of the trio were two pieces — one familiar, the other less so — Franz Schubert’s famous Trout Quintet and Joaquin Turina’s Piano Quartet.

how do you know dvds

The Trout Quintet doesn’t require much to make it sound inspired. It is a masterpiece in the chamber music repertory. Its popularity, however, doesn’t necessarily mean it is played often. The combination of instruments, which includes a double bass and a piano, doesn’t lend itself to easy programming by established chamber ensembles. But this is exactly the type of piece SCMS presents so well at their summer and winter festival and why the Trout has become a familiar presence on the festival schedule.

Anna Polonsky’s lighter touch and deft playing was a good match for the Trout. She was supported by Robert DeMaine (cello) and Jordan Anderson’s (bass) deep, firm timbres. Amy Schwartz Moretti (violin) assuredly led the strings and Richard O’Neill’s (viola) mellow playing balanced the ensemble’s voices.

If I could change one thing about the SCMS festivals, it would be to include more string quartets. I have heard from more than one listener that they wished festival planners would program a few of the lesser known string quartet repertory.  As it stands, both the summer and winter festivals cater to the festival’s deep pool of talented pianists. Most (though not always) pieces on a typical SCMS program include piano.This reliance on pieces that include piano continued Friday night.  While the Trout featured the silky work of Polonsky, the Schumann trio and Turina quartet gave us festival favorites Alon Goldstein and William Wolfram respectively.

Goldstein’s reliable playing was complimented by the skillful execution of Ilya Kaler (violin) and Amit Peled (cello).  Schumann’s music, however, either grabs you or it doesn’t.  He embodies the romantic period better than his younger protégé Johannes Brahms, but he didn’t have the same ability to create universally admired music. This is true with the second trio, a piece generally regarded as one of the composer’s weaker pieces.

Turina’s Piano Quartet opened the night. Like Schubert and Schumann, Turina’s melodies and harmonies were richly enjoyable. But, unlike the two Austro-Germans, Turina’s quartet oozed lusty passion and Spanish flavor. Fitful, simmering musical ideas were easily exchanged among the quartet’s string players – Bion Tsang (cello), Lily Francis (violin), and Bion Tsang (cello). Wolfram’s firmer keyboard touch provided a halting pulse that was utterly likable.

paul download movie

After an opening night that featured Elgar’s Piano Quintet and Shostakovich’s First Piano Trio and a duo piano recital last night, the festival closes this afternoon with Schumann’s frayed Third Piano Trio and Ernst von Dohnanyi’s Op. 37 Sextet.