by Stephen Kaye
The 96th season of Music Mountain in Falls Village opened on a chilly June 1 with a piano trio by Beethoven (Piano Trio Op. 97, “Archduke”) and a piano quartet by Brahms with a powerhouse team led by pianist Benjamin Hochman, accompanied by three string players from the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. One would be hard pressed to find a more talented group anywhere.
Beethoven dedicated the trio to the youngest son of Leopold II of Austria, Archduke Rudolf, who was a pupil and patron of the composer. This oft-played piece is a favorite in the chamber music world, and while often played, it never loses its freshness. The version played under the leadership of Hochman was bold, forceful, and uplifting. It is filled with hope and confidence in a better future, a message that was helpful to Vienna when Napoleon was engaged elsewhere, and to us when uncertainty clouds our future. Beethoven’s trio gives the piano the leading role, where Hockman provided energy and exquisite tension. My impression was one of vitality, vibrancy, and suggestions of a visionary future. That makes a piece of music 214 years old a true classic!
The second piece on the program was Piano Quartet in G Minor, Op 25 by Johannes Brahms. Benjamin Bowman, the first concertmaster at the Met Orchestra, and Joel Noyes, the assistant principal Met cellist, were joined by Milan Millisavljevic, the Principal Met Viola, to form a formidable string section with Benjamin Hochman’s driving rendition of this early piece of Brahms written at the age of 24. Beethoven was clearly in the background as Brahms used Beethoven’s structure but clothed it with a richer, denser, and more fanciful fabric. Was this the work of a young man in love? Clara Schumann may have been his muse, inspiring him to endow us with music whose gestures of majesty are tempered by a light-heartedness that pokes fun at pompousness. There are wild gestures, light figures, majestic themes, mock self-importance, and tongue-in-cheek pomposity as Hochman led his talented group with ferocious speed in the final moments.
The crowd at Music Mountain knew this was something special because all these players travel to major halls around the world yet immerse themselves in this wonderful music more for the pleasure of making music together rather than any monetary emolument. Oscar Espina Ruiz is to be congratulated for his programming.
This season of weekly Sunday concerts runs through September 14 and is highlighted by great names and innovative programming: Arvo Part, Seth Grosshandler, Zao Zhang, Donald Haywood, Joan Tower, Leo Singer, and Duke Ellington offer some of the names that are among more traditional line-ups. This is the kind of programming that brings chamber music into the 21st century! The audience is ready….
The second piece on the program was Piano Quartet in G Minor, Op 25 by Johannes Brahms. Benjamin Bowman, the first concertmaster at the Met Orchestra, and Joel Noyes, the assistant principal Met cellist, were joined by Milan Millisavljevic, the Principal Met Viola, to form a formidable string section with Benjamin Hockman’s driving rendition of this early piece of Brahms written at the age of 24. Beethoven was clearly in the background as Brahms used Beethoven’s structure but clothed it with a richer, denser, and more fanciful fabric. Was this the work of a young man in love? Clara Schumann may have been his muse, inspiring him to endow us with music whose gestures of majesty are tempered by a light-heartedness that pokes fun at pompousness. There are wild gestures, light figures, majestic themes, mock self-importance, and tongue-in-cheek pomposity as Hochman led his talented group with ferocious speed in the final moments.
The crowd at Music Mountain knew this was something special because all these players travel to major halls around the world yet immerse themselves in this wonderful music more for the pleasure of making music together rather than any monetary emolument. Oscar Espina Ruiz is to be congratulated for his programming.
Next Sunday, the Baldoret Quartet will play with pianist Misha Dichter in a program of NOVÁK, SMETANA, and DVORÁK.
