Well, for a grey and rainy Thursday, the SPCO at Temple Israel sure broke the clouds. It was a delight - Violinist Soovin Kim performed on the two Mozart works and the Enesco octet in the place of previously slated soloist, Christian Tetzlaff, (no small charge) and SPCO Concertmaster Steven Copes (who is dreamy to watch play) led the Haydn symphony.
The first piece, a Mozart rondo, was uplifting, energetic and all that is enjoyable about classical music. Soovan Kim was great fun to watch with effortless technique and quick bowing that makes me think he might also play a mean fiddle. This piece was programmatically successful as well in its spring-like energy, optimism, and… stay with me here… casual virtuosity. The joy of this spectacular piece was apparent in each player and they conveyed this and did that crazy trick where they inspire you that you think YOU might like to pick up a viola and no big deal… just join along.
The Enescu String Octet in C was likewise spectacular, and in many similar ways, though the piece itself was far different than any Mozart. The octet was very colorful – each voice in the ensemble was very distinct and unique. The dissonance grew and resolved over and over again, playing upon and highlighting all the different textures, timbres, and atmospheres that music in this setting (smaller group) can paint. Melody lines swam through each section, drawing the listener around the violas painting beautiful shades in their lower ranges, the cellos clipping through textural pizzicato, and certainly the violins sweeping us off our feet time and again. The piece and performance alike were dazzling.
The final piece, Haydn’s Symphony No. 86 in D was rollicking and dramatic, and concluded the concert with the same liveliness and vigor that we’d enjoyed throughout. The orchestra added a couple winds and timpani, and at first, the music seemed to take a more serious turn, but we came to find out that was not at all the case. Each passage that threatened seriousness or a somber turn was countered with a dramatic pause, a lively counterpoint, or the sparkling minuet that reminded everyone not to take things too seriously.
The concert had real potential to be stuffy but was anything but. The program was refreshing, the musicians accomplished and entertaining, and the mood joyous and inspired. Kim, Copes, and the rest of the SPCO delivered a performance that reminds us all how charming chamber music really can be.
