Before beginning Bach's Brandenburg Concerto #6, the piece that opened yesterday evening's concert at Paul Hall, the violist, Jack Stulz, and the harpsichordist, Tyler Wottrich, engaged the audience in a discussion. They explained and demonstrated two different approaches to a certain passage of the concerto, one vigorous and the other much softer. I had never seen this done before and thought it an excellent device to draw the audience more closely into the music, if only to hear which approach prevailed.
Besides the Bach concerto, the program featured Mozart's Piano Quartet in E-flat, K. 493, and Brahms' String Quintet in G, Op. 111. Though all three pieces were excellent, it was the Brahms that had the greatest impact. Although it was intended by the composer to be his last work, the music is certainly not that of an old man. It is instead a passionate piece, brimming with vitality, in which Brahms makes clear that he is planning to take his departure at the height of his powers.
I enjoyed the performance so much that it would be difficult to given an unbiased review even if I were better qualified. I only wish I had space to praise all the musicians for their great talent. At intermission, I met the pianist Alexandra Le, an attractive and charming woman, who had shown extraordinary ability in her performance in the Mozart Quartet. Grace Park stood out on violin in both the Mozart and the Brahms. And Jack Stulz and Tyler Wottrich, mentioned above, were both so skilled on their respective instruments that one feels either of their differing approaches to the Bach would be equally worth hearing.
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