MUSIC REVIEW--THE ST. LUKES ORCHESTRA CHAMBER ENSEMBLE AT CARAMOOR--December 5, 2010

Reviewed by Bill Breakstone, December 6, 2010

Caramoor has been celebrating the music of Mozart at its Caramoor Indoor Series in the Music Room this fall. Sunday’s concert was a dandy, and featured principals of the Orchestra of St. Luke’s—oboists Stephen Taylor and James Roe; clarinetists Jon Manasse, Romie de Guise-Langlois and Pavel Vinnitsky; basset horn specialist Gerhardt Koch; bassoonists Dennis Godburn and Thomas Sefcovic; horn players Ralph J. Kelley, Patrick Pridemore, Michael Atkinson and Sarah Cyrus; and John Feeney on double bass.

By any standard, Mozart was a prolific composer, all the more so given his tragically brief lifespan. Ludwig von Kochel compiled a complete catalogue of his compositions in 1862. It listed 626 works, beginning with an Andante for Keyboard, written in 1761, and ending with the unfinished Requiem of late 1791. Of these compositions, 29 were composed as Divertimenti and Serenades. These were written as court diversions, to be performed either outside or indoors at informal gatherings, and utilized various combinations of instruments, ranging from full chamber orchestras to groupings as small as quartets, quintets, sextets, octets, or slightly larger combinations.

This concert featured wind instruments, with the exception of a double bass used as a basso continuo, and horns. The Divertimento No. 14 in B-Flat Major, K. 270 opened the program. It is a gem, in four movements, seldom performed but a pure delight. It was followed by the Serenade No. 11 in E-Flat Major, K. 375, a five-movement work featuring a rather serious Allegro Maestoso opening, two Minuets with Trios, and Adagio and concluding with a sprightly Finale (Allegro). Following the interval, the Ensemble performed the Serenade No. 10 for Winds in B-Flat Major, K.361/370a, the Gran Partita. This is one of Mozart’s finest works, composed contemporaneously with the magnificent Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola, K. 364. The Serenade is a far cry from the light afternoon entertainments written for the Salzburg Court of Archbishop Collorado. It consists of 7 movements: an opening Largo which leads directly into a moderately paced Allegro Molto; an Adagio is framed by two Minuets, both with two Trio sections; the final three movements are a Romanza; a Tema con Variazioni; and the concluding Rondo (Allegro Molto). The timbre throughout is warm and rich, and the alternating slow-fast-slow-fast tempi of the movements continually engage the listener.

The performances by the St. Luke’s Ensemble were masterful, and the instrumentalists were thoroughly enjoying themselves and the music they were creating. A full house was in attendance, many listening to these less-familiar Mozart works for the first time. They showered long lasting applause on the performers, duly deserved.