Those that assemble classical music concert programs know from experience that it isn’t easy—for stylistic reasons—to place Baroque music up against works from later periods on the same program. One solution adored by music lovers is the creation of all-Baroque programs where one can relish both the bold and intricate differences between works and composers without the clash that generally puts the Baroque at a disadvantage. That, more or less, was the tact taken by Knoxville Symphony Orchestra concertmaster and host William Shaub in constructing his intriguing and eminently satisfying Baroque exploration for this week’s Concertmaster Series concert at the Knoxville Museum of Art—the final concert of three for this season.
After the first half of magnificently rendered solo violin works including a movement from the Bach Violin Sonata No.3, the Baroque-inspired Ysaye Sonata No. 4, and Corelli’s variations on La Folia, Shaub was joined by colleagues from the orchestra for two Bach works: the Violin Concerto in A minor, followed by the Concerto for Oboe and Violin in C minor, BWV 1040R. Joining Concertmaster Shaub was KSO Principal Oboe Claire Chenette. The ensemble consisted of violins Sean Claire, Zofia Glashauser, Ikuko Koizumi, Edward Pulgar and I-Pei Lin; violas Jennifer Bloch and Bill Pierce; cellos Stacy Nickell and Sarah Senn; bassist Steve Benne; and Kevin Class on harpsichord.
Like getting a visit from a delightful old friend, both concerti came alive with that distinctive Bach invention, the conversational turning and flipping of melodies, exploring lively patterns that go down one path, then another, until the choices have been exhausted. In the Double Concerto, the full house of Bachophiles and oboe fans heard a beautiful performance, one in which Shaub and Chenette led a conversational back and forth that was lovingly detailed yet muscular. Despite the work’s minor key setting, one came away elated and somehow invigorated by the entertaining performance.
Strangely, in the Bach concerti, though, I was conscious—for the first time in several years of attendance—of a downside to the particular angled acoustic character of the otherwise visually stunning KMA hall. In the past, I have expressed relieved amazement that the room is conducive to the wide frequency range that is found in a classical music ensemble. A solo violin clearly benefits from the hall’s reflective hard terrazzo floor and the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, but other instrument combinations come off with a different effect. On this occasion, the balance and mixing ability between treble instruments and un-elevated bass instruments seemed off, not because of the ensemble’s performance—which was excellent—but rather as a factor of the room’s spatial character.
The Concertmaster Series returns next season to the Knoxville Museum of Art, starting in October with a performance of Dvorak’s Piano Quintet No. 2.
