I had intended to spend the afternoon of March 23 hearing Ars Choralis’s all-Bach program in Woodstock. Somehow I zoned out and wound up going to hear the Bohemian Quartet at the 2014 season finale of the Ulster Chamber Music Series, at the Church of the Holy Cross, in Kingston. It serves me right. This string quartet, with a bass instead of a second violin, plays gypsy (Roma) music of Eastern Europe, attractive repertoire. But they play like conservatory graduates who learned the music from printed scores and have never heard recordings of the musicians who originally played this music. Their playing of this wild and crazy and wonderful music was thoroughly domesticated, and the famous Dinicu “Hora Staccato” wasn’t even staccato. Someone should buy this ensemble some CDs of old gypsy field recordings.
The previous weekend I heard another concert of ethnic music played by Americans, the ensemble Tom do Brasil (“Sound of Brazil”) at Saugerties Pro Musica, on March 16. Ensembles like this tend to overestimate the intelligibility of their spoken introductions, so I can’t tell you much about what music I actually heard. But the performances sounded as though they were in touch with the original style of the Brazilian dance music they were playing. Clarinetist Kristen Mather de Andrade, principal clarinet of the West Point Band, also sings quite well. But I’m not sure her Portuguese pronunciation is accurate, since that language usually sounds pretty ugly to me and she made it sound beautiful. It was a lovely concert and I’d definitely go to hear this group again. As I write the only information on SPM’s next event is the date, April 27, and the last names of the violin and piano duet, Kobayaski and Seipkes. No doubt you’ll find more information by concert time at www.saugertiespromusica.org. This series takes place at the Saugerties United Methodist Church, Washington Ave. and Post St., Saugerties, Sundays at 3.
The first half of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic’s concert on Saturday, March 8 was memorable. George Tsontakis’s recent “Comet” (2012) is a vivid, colorful work which seems to reflect the appearance of a comet in outer space. The orchestra under music director Randall Craig Fleischer seemed completely comfortable with the music and the audience received it with great enthusiasm. We have violist Michael Casimir, winner of the HVP’s 2013 String Compeition, for the very unusual opportunity to hear Ernest Bloch’s Suite for Viola and Orchestra, his choice of repertoire for his prizewinning appearance with the orchestra. This piece is an unknown gem of the 20th century, full of invention and excitement, and Casimir played it with impressive mastery. No viola jokes here; this young man should have a splendid future. I have to say that Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, which concluded the concert, was a bit of a letdown. There was nothing wrong with the performance, but it was not always clear and in the Scherzo a bit cautious. I got the impression that the first half of the program might have dominated the rehearsal time. Well, if the price of hearing the Tsontakis and Bloch pieces was having a less than optimum performance of the Beethoven, I won’t complain. The next HVP concert, on April 6, is a don’t-miss opportunity to hear Mahler’s magnificent Second Symphony, the “Resurrection,” with huge orchestra and chorus, and I’d call for tickets immediately if I were you. Or you can get them, if any are still available, at www.bardavon.org.
The Rhinebeck Chamber Music Series closes its 2013-14 season on Sunday, April 6, as the Lysander Trio performs works of Shostakovich, Schubert, Musto, and Brahms. These concerts take place at the Church of the Messiah on Montgomery St. in Rhinebeck; there’s plenty of info at www.rhinebeckmusic.org. The Poné Ensemble closes its 2013-14 season with “The Future,” music of young composers, on Sunday, April 27, at 3 p.m., at New Paltz United Methodist Church. That concert will be repeated on Sunday, May 4, 4 p.m., at Christ Episcopal Church in Poughkeepsie. Info on this series at www.poneensemble.org. Among numerous offerings at Bard, I’d single out a concert on April 6 at Sosnoff Theater at 3 p.m. by the ensemble Sō Percussion and Bard student percussionists, including music of Gann, Reich, Cage, Bjarnson, and Bresnick. Violinist Ida Kavafian and pianist Peter Serkin play works of Schubert, Wolpe, Nielsen and Schumann on Saturday, April 19, 8 p.m., at the new Bitó Conservatory Building, also the site of a piano recital by Benjamin Hochman on Monday, April 28th. Check out www.fishercenter.bard.edu and www.bard.edu/conservatory/events for more information.
The combined Ulster Choral Society and Camerata Chorale will perform an all-Vivaldi program, with professional soloists and the Bach-Handel Festival Orchestra, at Overlook United Methodist Church in Woodstock on Sunday, April 27, at 4 p.m. Lee H. Prichard conducts. More info at www.ulsterchoral.org.
Last month I wrote about some good opportunities to hear excellent nonclassical music. I followed up on my own recommendation October 30 and heard a splendid set by Rick Altman’s jazz trio plus one (Mike DeMicco) at Harmony in Woodstock. Rick plays there on the last Sunday of every month at 8. Bluegrass Clubhouse continues every Thursday at the same venue, 8:30. And the wonderful Elly Winninger, whose singing and guitar playing I find very soul-satisfying, has just started a monthly series at Harmony, Fridays at 7. Her next show is April 11.
