Massenet, Vanchestein, Debussy, Miluaud, Saint-Saëns & Ravel - 02/05/12

Conductor: Dongmin Kim 
Massenet: Le dernier sommeil de la Vierge 
Uriel Vanchestein: Double Concerto for Flute and Clarinet - Jasmine Choi & Uriel Vanchestein 
Debussy: Andantino from String Ensemble 
Milhaud: Chamber Symphony No 4, Op. 74 
Saint-Saëns: Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso – Transcribed for the flute – Jasmine Choi 
Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte 

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After my big night at the opera on Wednesday, it was very refreshing to move on to an intimate, intriguing concert entitled “French Enchantment” in the lovely setting of the Church of the Heavenly Rest on the Upper East Side on Sunday afternoon. Only in their second season, The New York Classical Players have already generated plenty of positive buzz and for a good reason: combining various cultural backgrounds with tremendous artistic skills under the solid leadership of Dongmin Kim, The NYCP's goal is to bring classical music of the highest caliber to all, and they seem well on their way to accomplishing this laudable mission. 

Starting the performance on a decidedly sacred note, Massenet’s “Le dernier sommeil de la Vierge” (The Last Sleep of the Virgin) delicately rose and ethereally lingered in the beautiful church. Just enough daylight was streaming through the magnificent stained-glass windows to keep us all in a dreamy state while the fabulous string players onstage were hard at work proving that they were wide awake and totally in control. 

Commissioned by the NYCP, Uriel Vanchestein’s Double Concerto for Flute and Clarinet kept his clarinetist composer and flutist Jasmin Choi engaged in a spirited dialog during the span of three movements. Although the piece presented numerous technical challenges, the duo and the orchestra handled them all with plenty of aplomb. 

Debussy’s Andantino bristled with exoticism, sensuality and spontaneous touches of colorful lyricism. In the young but expert hands of the musicians that were bringing it to life, this truly exquisite rêverie reminded me of Borodin at his very best. 

After the intermission, it was time for some Brazilian-inspired rhythms that quickly warmed up the atmosphere with Milhaud's Chamber Symphony No 4. As comfortable with bubbly sounds as with mysterious moods, The NYCP did full justice to this joyous interlude. 

I was skeptical about the merit of a flute version of Saint-Saëns’ delightfully melodic Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, a popular work for violin. I was wrong. Flute soloist Jasmin Choi showed plenty of virtuosic skills while negotiating the tricky score and turned the experience into an unquestionable, exhilarating success. 

As if this hadn’t been enough, we briefly left France for Russia for a fun little goodie of an encore in the form of Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Flight of the Bumblebee”. 
Ravel’s “Pavane pour une infante défunte” concluded this wonderfully eclectic French program with gentle soulfulness before we all stepped back out into the fading sunshine of a February afternoon.

Written by Isabelle Dejean (February 7, 2012)

Mozart, Ravel & Dvorak - 05/24/12

David Southorn: Violinist 
Elizabeth Young: Violinist 
Wei-Yang Andy Lin: Violist 
Jiyoung Lee: Cellist 
Mozart: String Quartet No 17 in B-flat Major, “The Hunt” 
Ravel: String Quartet in F Major 
Dvorak: American” String Quartet Op. 96 in F Major 

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As a die-hard lover of the musical, gustatory and visual arts, I was absolutely thrilled to hear about the very first “Culturemerge” organized by the New York Classical Players, vinoteria and the YellowKorner Gallery. Now that it has happened, it is of course easy to wonder how come it had never happened before, especially in a city as creative and culture-centric as New York. On the other hand, it meant that my mum and I would be able to brag about attending the very first one! 

Aiming for the “ultimate indulgence of the senses”, the principle behind the event is deceptively simple and devilishly clever: Three different wines (White, Red, Rosé) would be enjoyed while listening to three different musical works (Mozart, Ravel, Dvorak) performed in three different corners of the gallery (Nature, Urban, Landscape). The location of the venue in – Where else? – the heart of SoHo amped up the trendiness factor, the small, informal space was perfect for a more intimate musical experience, and the delicious amuse-bouches provided by Le Gamin Café made us feel right at home. never mind the omnipresent rain (again!). 

The first theme of the evening was “Nature”, and although I doubt that Mozart had the African wilderness in mind when he composed it, his “Hunt” string quartet somehow did not feel out of place while being played before a background of splendid photos of exotic predators in their natural habitat. It is true that the superior skills of the four musicians from the New York Classical Players had a lot to do with keeping the crowd quiet and attentive as they brightly emphasized the light-hearted, elegant quality of the music. All I can say is that the remarkable Château Gaillard Sauvignon Blanc I was sipping perfectly completed a brand new and totally elating experience. 

Now that we had gained momentum, we just kept going and got ready for the following theme: “Urban”. I was very eager to get to this part because not only do I love endless metropolitan excitement and strong red wines, but Ravel’s String Quartet is a favorite of mine too. The only problem was I had not finished my Sauvignon Blanc yet, so the wine component was slightly off for me, but I still thoroughly dug hearing this melodically happy, vigorously present ode to youth coming brilliantly alive in front of whole assortment of bright lights and big cities. 

After making the executive decision to grab some red and forget about the rosé (Who on earth drinks rosé after red anyway?), I found a spot near the entrance of the gallery this time, where several photos of a young woman in various states of dress (or undress, depending on how you look at it) were welcoming the visitors. This was apparently the “Landscape” décor for Dvorak’s “American” Quartet, which would conclude our evening. Another standard of the chamber music répertoire, this popular piece was written while Dvorak was living in a Bohemian community in Iowa. Obviously influenced by American folk tunes, it is a highly entertaining piece, attractive and joyful. Last Thursday night, the musicians quickly made it their own and delivered a vividly evocative performance of it, as robust and satisfying as the hearty Château Lastours red wine I did manage to finish. Can’t wait for the next Culturemerge!

Written by Isabelle Dejean (May 31, 2012)