It seems I can never make it to all of the worthwhile classical music events hereabouts – but I make a special effort to get to as much of the College of Charleston’s fabulous Charleston Music Fest series as I can. The pet project of star musicians and C of C professors Lee-Chin Siow (violin) and Natalia Khoma (cello), the Fest offers world-class chamber music in Charleston year-round.
Saturday evening’s concert at the Simons Center consisted of works for piano trio, with pianist Volodymyr Vynnytsky doing the honors along with Siow and Khoma. The program led off with Ludwig van Beethoven’s very first published work, the Piano Trio in E-Flat, Op. 1 No. 1. Much of Beethoven’s early efforts are unjustly neglected, as he hadn’t yet broken completely free of the Classical era’s fetters and found his mature voice. This delightful piece often smacks of his predecessors Mozart and Haydn (his teacher) – especially in the graceful Adagio movement: delicious music that our players brought to life with glowing lyrical intensity.
But Beethoven – the unruly, rebellious imp – gets unleashed in the other movements: especially the sprightly scherzo and the slapdash finale. Have you ever heard Beethoven giggle … or laugh out loud? If not, give this number a listen sometime.Critics rarely give him credit for his rollicking sense of humor. Our ensemble played the final presto faster than I’ve ever heard it before – and with astonishing clarity and precision, to boot.
After halftime, violist Kathryn Dey joined her colleagues for Robert Schumann’s Op. 47 Piano Quartet in E Flat — one of the glittering jewels of the chamber repertoire. It’s one of the most irrepressibly sunny, joyful things this mercurial composer ever wrote. The slow movement – a gorgeous love-song for his wife Clara – is full of passion and tender longing.
Remember, two of these musicians (Khoma and Vynnytsky) grew up with the emotional intensity of the Russian school. And their big-boned, over-the-top sentiments apparently rubbed off on their colleagues. This was a searing, heartfelt performance that dug deep into my gut and left me limp afterwards.
As I’ve said before, this wonderful series needn’t take a back seat to any other chamber music we get to hear hereabouts … not even Spoleto’s vaunted and venerable series.
