An intriguing short program of little-known music, by even lesser-known composers. That’s what we expect from Espressivo—our feisty, “intense” chamber orchestra—and that’s what we got last month.
Beginning with witty opening remarks by ace bassoonist Neil Fairbairn, the concert performed Gordon Jacob’s Suite for Bassoon and String Quartet.
Edgy and dreamy, the four movements moved through atmospheric sounds like a Lawrence Durrell novel. Modernist phrasing—think mellow Stravinsky—with flashes of Benjamin Britton and even topnotes of Cole Porter, the Jacob piece gave full showing to Fairbairn’s rich and precise bassoon work, accompanied by the shimmering violins of Shannon D’Antonio and Adam Bolanos Scow, the velvet viola of Rebecca Dulatre-Corbin and plangent cello of Kristin Garbeff.
Next, with introductory overview by Lars Johannesson, Espressivo offered Theme and Variations for Flute and String Quartet, op. 80 by another rare composer: Amy Beach, whose work proclaimed a sequence of small, poetic ideas. Highly romantic, inflected with bits of Mahler, the Beach piece again showcased the precision of phrasing, and intonation between the magic flute and strings.
The final piece in this concert—by Baroque-era French composer François Devienne—changed the color moods completely. A Mozart doppelganger, written for flute clarinet and bassoon, the vigorous shimmering trio sprinted up and down a shower of arpeggios, especially tight tension and harmonics between flute and exceptional work by clarinetist Erica Horn. The excellent acoustics of the old-school German Cultural Center hall helped make this an unexpected triumph.
Espressivo in Winter
The chamber orchestra’s Jan. 17 Winter Concert, led by guest conductor Alan Truong, will feature music by Jean Francaix (known for chamber and ballet music), Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari (composer of eclectic opera and chamber pieces) and Romanian composer Georges Enescu—not household names but distinctly tantalizing and engaging composers, exactly the sort of rare masters the intense musicians of Espressivo enjoy reviving. Note the new time—4pm—so that the busy professionals involved have time to drive to Las Vegas for their evening gig.
A Monterey County native, Truong grew up playing with local bands and orchestras, then Oberlin Conservatory and ultimately took a degree in conducting at Juilliard. Still marveling that someone from a Chinese family background can become a conductor, Troung admits.
“I’d like to just be a conductor who is a positive contribution to my community, working with all sorts of musicians. I’m not someone who has a goal like leading the Vienna Philharmonic” he said
Truong recalls, “The chance to conduct with Espressivo came about after a conversation with Lars Johannessen. I saw it as an opportunity I should not pass up. For example, the Chamber Symphony of Georges Enescu doesn’t require a lot of players, but it does require a lot of intense focus, and a great deal of virtuosity, not just in the playing of the instruments, but in terms of the sensibility. So I had to make sure that this was on the program. And then we built the rest around it.
“At first glance,” Truong continued, “one could look at this program and call this concert ‘Art of the Chamber Symphony,’ given the sandwiching of Jean Francaix’s ‘Dectet’ between George Enescu’s and Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari’s respective ‘Chamber Symphonies.’ This genre of composition is ironic because one now expects a symphony, and that depth must be delivered by a mere 12 musicians on stage,” says Truong who considers Enescu one of Romania’s greatest musicians.
“Wolf-Ferrari accepts the challenge of endeavoring to match the scale of a symphony, which is accomplished with bold lines and a big helping of virtuosic piano playing. The work captures the sensibilities of the composer at 25, yet to become one of the most widely performed operatic composers in the world.”
Completing this program of jewelbox works is Françaix’ “Dectet,” or “Dixtuor.”
Truong muses, “The composer Maurice Ravel acknowledged a particular gift in Françaix as a boy: curiosity. There are moments in this piece that make one feel as if you are there with the composer, improvising the piece on a keyboard in real time. Pure freedom in music while making it look easy!”
Passionate music mavens can prepare for this feast, which will be served at 4pm on Jan. 17 at Peace United Church in Santa Cruz and Jan. 18 at First Presbyterian Church of Monterey. Tickets: espressorch.org.
Organ and Keyboard
The Santa Cruz Baroque Festival season gets launched Jan. 31, 4pm, at Calvary Episcopal Church with an opening fundraiser featuring Artistic Director Jörg Reddin on the organ with the Santa Cruz Brass Quintet. The Baroque Festival’s opening concert on Feb. 8 features maestro Reddin performing two newly discovered and authenticated Bach masterpieces, BWV 1178 and 1179, at Holy Cross Church. A spectacular premiere of these long-buried works. scbaroque.org
Those who love outstanding and elegantly performed piano music—and who doesn’t?—should have tickets for an afternoon with Van Cliburn medalist Jon Nakamatsu at 2pm on Feb. 1 at Cabrillo College’s Samper Hall. Part of the Santa Cruz Symphony’s smartly curated Musician Series concerts. santacruzsymphony.org
