Jonathan Blumhofer
In a nice twist, no piece on the Concord Chamber Players program was written before 1907, and that oldest piece came from a fine composer, Camille Saint-Saëns, whose music has fallen somewhat by the wayside since his death in 1922.
The extraordinary intensity the ensemble achieved at soft dynamic levels and their very natural sense of the movement’s pacing were both quite impressive.
As nicely played as the Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky were, I left feeling that there was something distinctly anticlimactic about the Aviv Quartet’s programming choices. I would much rather have heard the Erwin Schulhoff close the evening –- or at least heard it sandwiched between the Romantic selections.
The superb Harvard University Choir, which is arguably one of the best ensembles of its kind in the country, was in fine form throughout the evening.
While I’m not necessarily sold on this particular interpretation of Mahler Symphony no. 1, it was a thoughtful reading led with conviction; conductor Ludovic Morlot drew a committed performance from the BSO, and that counts for something.
It was clear from the moment Ludovic Morlot mounted the podium that he and the Boston Symphony Orchestra possess a strong chemistry: the players clearly respect him and they responded to his leadership with precision, energy, and feeling.
Classical Music Review: Worcester Chamber Music Society — A Deeply Memorable Evening of Music Making
The Worcester Chamber Music Society’s combination of repertoire demonstrated how creative programming can lead to highly satisfying musical results: each piece had something to say to or about its neighbors and the cumulative effect of hearing them in such a context made for a deeply memorable evening of music making.
The New Century Chamber Orchestra’s ability to vividly bring to life music of delicate character was on full display in this concert, part of the 152nd Worcester Music Festival.
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