The Oberlin Review
<< Front page News September 24, 2004

Faculty recital sets high bar

The first concert in the Oberlin Faculty Chamber Music Series set a high standard for the year to come; the concert, which took place last Sunday afternoon in Finney Chapel, was uniformly excellent. All eight performers—including seven faculty members and one guest—were engaging, technically adept and musically sensitive. It’s not often that one goes to a concert where there is absolutely nothing to criticize—this was one of those rare concerts.

The program began with Benjamin Britten’s Lachrymae (1950), a piece for viola and piano based on an old Dowland song. Nicole Divall, guest performer and wife of Cello Professor Peter Rejto, played this work accompanied by James Howsmon. Both demonstrated remarkable musical eloquence.

Divall’s playing was completely natural, every phrase shaped with no apparent effort or thought but fitting perfectly into each new moment. She created a brilliantly atmospheric mood throughout with the use of a wide variety of tone colors. It is surprising that, with her gorgeous sound and impeccable musical sensibility, Divall is not a more recognized name in viola circles.

The Britten was followed by Paul Hindemith’s Quartet for Clarinet, Violin, Cello and Piano (1938), performed by professors Richard Hawkins, clarinet, Kyung Sun Lee, violin, Peter Rejto, cello, and James Howsmon, piano. It is unfortunate that this work is not played very often, as it perfectly captures Hindemith’s many moods, shifting effortlessly from the quirky and quaint to the intensely passionate.

The ensemble played quite well together. Lee had a tendency to stand out on occasion, not because of any technical fault but merely because her sound is so poignant it is difficult not to get caught up in. Hawkins played his slow, lyrical solos with a beautifully clear tone, while adding the appropriate rough playfulness to the more folksy passages. Rejto’s sound was delightfully warm throughout, and Howsmon’s sensitive playing was rounded out by addition of a gutsier than usual attitude.

The final work on the program was Maurice Ravel’s Piano Trio, a much-loved work that is renowned for both its beauty and its difficulty. Professors Marilyn McDonald, violin, Darrett Adkins, cello and Monique Duphil, piano, were well up to its challenges; their performance was one of the most compelling I’ve heard.

McDonald’s light, airy sound worked perfectly to create a characteristically impressionist atmosphere throughout, and Duphil’s similarly light touch was obviously complementary. While at first I felt Adkins cello-playing to be too present, as the work went on I grew to appreciate the effectiveness of his more folksy approach. The cello rooted the trio, which gave a rather un-western feel to the work that mirrored the clear oriental influences in Ravel’s writing.

All four movements were well performed, but the Passacaille was particularly beautiful. Its simple, lyrical solo passages were exquisite in all three voices. The contrapuntal passages in the violin and cello were impeccably in tune and balanced. Its overall effect created an excellent springboard for the thrilling Finale, which ended the work in a flurry of technical fireworks and a grandiose climactic flourish.

The great thing about these faculty chamber concerts is that they allow the Oberlin community to see the Conservatory faculty collaborating to perform repertoire they clearly care about. One can see the “wouldn’t it be great to play _____?” conversation behind every work on the programs. The constantly changing configuration of personnel in different groups at each concert also gives the audience an opportunity to see how different players react to each other both musically and personally.

These concerts offer a rare window into the world of the Conservatory faculty, and should not be missed by anyone who enjoys—or is looking for an introduction to—great chamber music.
 
 

   

The Review News Service: News, weather, sports and more, in your ObieMail every Sunday and Wednesday night. (Click here to subscribe.)