Review by Barry Plaxen
As the first Sullivan Weekend of Chamber Music (WCM) concert of 2012, “Fools and Fiddlers,” began 
on April 1, 2012, Artistic Director Judith Pearce (photo left) could have said “welcome to my living room” even though the concert was in the Hortonville Presbyterian Church.
Braving the rain, a music-loving entourage was treated to a chamber music concert that adhered to the original meaning of the term –intimate, warm, cozy and informal. And, of course – no surprise here –another concert of the highest quality that we always get from WCM’s world-class artists. Flutist and programmer extraordinaire Pearce and WCM keyboard soloist and musicologist extraordinaire, Kenneth Hamrick, concocted a clever catalogue of Renaissance and Baroque solos, duets and trios for themselves and violinist Nurit Pacht.
A Trio Sonata by Telemann was given its modern premiere, and possibly its American premiere, thanks to a friend of Pearce’s in Germany who provided Pearce with the recently discovered manuscript. Though it is often difficult for me to pinpoint a Telemann sound, this piece seemed to offer a totally unfamiliar Telemann idiom, and therefore was very exciting. What a great find and addition to the repertoire!
There were solo harpsichord pieces by Couperin (Baroque) and Frescobaldi (Renaissance), lovingly performed by Hamrick (photo right). Besides explaining the keyboard characteristics of the two periods, Hamrick edified and enlightened the audience with his explanation of the birthing of the harpsichord and its relationship to the plucked guitar, not the hammered clavichord. (Which means the piano is a descendant of the clavichord, not the harpsichord, as many of us have believed.)
The concert ended with the familiar and comforting language of Vivaldi, a flute concerto arranged for trio, with Pacht (photo left) playing a version of the orchestral part on the violin. This was my first exposure to that configuration for a Vivaldi concerto. It was most interesting as it seemed to highlight the solo instrument to a greater degree than when a full orchestra dominates or shares equally in a concerto.
The surprise and highlight of the magical afternoon was a piece by Dario Castello, an Italian composer and instrumentalist from the early Baroque period (c.1590- c.1658), his remarkable “Sonata Seconda” for violin and continuo. Apparently, Castello had a role in the transformation of the instrumental “canzona” into the “sonata.” His was a musical expression new to me, and I think everyone else. It was unique in its inventiveness and timbre, and Pacht’s presentation was quite moving and also fascinating to watch.
The masterfully performed program whetted our appetites for the upcoming July 15 – 28 WCM season, its 19th, to be held in Jeffersonville, Kauneonga Lake, North Branch and Callicoon, when even more Castello will be performed.
For a brochure: info@WCMconcerts.org. or 845-932-8527.
The Catskill Chronicle 
Leave a comment