GREENSBORO – The last concert in the Summer Music from Greensboro series, Tuesday evening, August 5, in the United Church of Christ, featured the Manhattan Chamber Players with works by Mozart, Beethoven, Gliere, Devienne, four of which highlighted the flute. The New York City based group works as a collective with a variety of different musicians in flexible combinations that make it possible to cover a wide spectrum of the chamber music repertoire. Their credentials as individuals and as an ensemble are particularly impressive, encompassing both national and international performances.
Tuesday, Luke Fleming, the founding artistic director of the Manhattan Chamber Players in 2015, was on the viola, Grace Park was on violin, Abigail Monroe on cello and Melissa Baker on flute. Their program notes were extensive and Fleming’s talks before each piece gave significant insights.
Flute quartets by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) began and ended the program. The first was the Flute Quartet No. 4 in A Major, K.298 for Flute, Violin, Viola and Cello written in 1786. Mozart was said to have an aversion to the flute, but it must be understood that the 18th century flute was very different than the modern flute. In his time, the transverse (horizontal) flute was usually made of wood and did not have great volume of sound, thus difficult to score in a balanced way with other instruments. In the 1830s and 40s Theobald Boehm improvement the design of flutes, making it of metal with levers, keys and padded covers, hence easier to play, and with competitive dynamics. Mozart certainly composed some of his most beautiful and memorable melodies with these two quartets.
The 4th began with an Andante (con variationi) with the fine theme stated right away by the flute and then taken through four variations by the flute, violin, viola and cello, all participating with complete graciousness. The Menuetto that followed had elegant dance rhythms with an enchanting interplay of the instruments, while the Rondo, allegro gragioso had another entirely engaging melody. Baker’s flute playing was exacting and with feeling, and the supporting musicians were very well integrated into the flow.
The Serenade for Flute, Violin and Viola in D Major, Op. 25 by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) was composed rather early in his career (1801) and consists of six movements. The Entrata Allegro began with a cheery melody shared among the three instruments, then a second theme was introduced and treated similarly The viola in this piece takes on the role of the cello when it comes to the lower ranges, but the D Major key gives the whole work an upbeat mood. The tempo ordinario d’un minuetto-Trio I-Trio II proceeded in a stately dance manner with the flute prominent. The Molto allegro-Coda had a high energy fast rhythm, while the Andante con variazoni showed Beethoven’s skill in writing imaginative improvisations. The Allegro, Scherzando e vivace picked up the tempo again, contrasting with the previous movements, ending with the Adagio-Allegro, vivace e disinvolto-Presto, which had a particularly elegant melody. Again, Baker’s musicianship on the flute was superb and the three string players created a consistent unity.
Reinhold Gliere’s life (1875-1956) bridged tumultuous times for Russia. Unlike Prokofiev and Shostakovich he never suffered the hostile criticism of the dangerous Soviet period under Stalin. Four selections from his Eight Pieces for Viola and Cello, Op.39 of 909 were given. The Prelude, in a minor mode stayed in the lower registers as the two instrument closely overlap. The Etude had a medium tempo, giving the viola the opportunity to explore its rich tone and warm feeling. Of the two other pieces, in No. 4 the two instruments embraced each other like lovers, while in the Gavotte (No. 2) the rhythms were very danceable with their resonant chords blending.
Francois Devienne (1759-1803) also lived through revolutionary events in his native France. His Duo for Flute and Viola in C minor, Op. 5, No. 3 of 1786 had two movements beginning with an Allegro moto con expressione, which gave the two instruments a real conversation, juxtaposing the higher/lower ranges in melded lyrical lines. The Rondo had a light, singing quality with good momentum in an almost skipping rhythm, to which the flutist and violist did justice.
Mozart wrote four flute quartets in all, and the No. 1 in D Major, K.285 of 1777 for Flute, Violin, Viola and Cello had delightful melodies in its three movements. The Allegro didn’t hesitate to please our ears with a thoroughly engaging tune from the first notes, then went off on another tangent, all played in precise coordination. The Adagio that followed was totally exquisite, with beautiful contrasts in the scoring of the four instruments, especially in the scoring, passages for the flute. The Rondo concluded the piece in a joyous ambiance of shared variations to full ensemble effect by the players, earning them a well deserved standing ovation.
Summer Music from Greensboro’s four concerts this season were well chosen for the excellence of their musicians and attracted enthusiastic audiences. We look forward to the next summer!
David K. Rodgers
David K. Rodgers is a writer, mason and card carrying dilettante, who dabbles and babbles in art. He has lived in East Craftsbury for the past 40 years.
