Heights Arts: House Concert: Frankly February (Post #100)

An evening of beautiful music in the barn at Dunham Tavern Museum.

Mozart: String Quartet in C-major, KV. 157*
Boccherini: Quintetto Quarto (no. 4) in A-major for Oboe and String Quartet, G. 434
Britten: Fantasy for Oboe, Violin, Viola, and Cello, Op. 2
Bach: Concerto for Oboe and Violin in C-minor based on Concerto for 2 Harpsichords, BVW 1060
Balmages: Phantom Tangos for String Orchestra*
Frank Rosenwein, oboe; Miho Hashizume, Mari Sato, Isabel Trautwein, violins; Kirsten Docter, viola; Josue Gonzalez, cello.
*- With the Newton Quartet: Serena Shapard, William Wang, violins; Nadia DeGeorgia, viola; Henry Shapard, cello.

As I've noted before, the Heights Arts house concert series offers a fantastic way to hear musicians who are at the top of their professional game in an intimate and unusual environment. Tonight's concert being no exception took place in the warm barn at the Dunham Tavern Museum on Euclid -- a venue that I didn't know existed despite having driven by the location countless times, and stood in nice contrast to the blowing snow visible through the barn's windows.

In addition to the professional musicians (including three members of the Cleveland Orchestra, three CIM faculty members, and once CIM student) the Newton Quartet, consisting of four talented 5-6th graders, joined the program, playing the first piece independently and joining the older musicians for the last.

I always think it's interesting to hear what musicians have to say about their craft and the music that they're playing. Ms. Trautwein, made some particularly apt comparisons between growing through music and cultivating a garden; Mr. Rosenwein provided a bit of insight to the not-so-glamorous life of an oboist (who knew they made their own reeds?); and Ms. Hashizume provided some information on the differences between the baroque and modern violin, and how that affects the sound.

The lady seated next to me came specifically for the Concerto for Oboe and Violin, and I'm certainly enjoyed the allegros from the piece; I think my favorite from the evening was Britten's Fantasy, and Phantom Tangos is a very close third.

It's particularly worth noting the amazing combination of talent that came when young met "old" for Phantom Tangos at the conclusion of the evening, well-played by all.

Lincoln