Finale on the Lawn
SUNDAY’S THREAT OF RAIN never materialized—at least not at the idyllic grounds of Middleton Place. So the Mozart in the South Festival went ahead with its planned open-air grand finale concert as the evening sun slowly sank behind the western tree line into dusk and darkness, taking some of the afternoon’s oppressive heat with it. Dotting the expansive lawns were a dozen or so linen-draped tables laden with delectable picnic goodies, plus many dozens of blanketed ground sites.
Charleston Chamber Music players at Middleton Place
The main attraction, of course, was the music. The entire program harked back to the old European traditions of “Harmonie” (wind band) music, often performed in outdoor settings. Every town or village had its band, and many leading composers and arrangers fed this steady market. A meaty ensemble of top players (mostly from the Charleston Symphony) did the honors: Regina Helcher Yost (flute), Mark Gainer and Christine Worsham (oboes), Charles Messersmith and Gretchen Roper (clarinets), Sandra Nikolajevs and Kathy St. John (bassoons), with Debra Sherrill, Anne Holmi, and Brandon Nichols (horns). Conducting these crack players was Scott Rush, Director of Wando High School’s award-winning bands.
After waiting a bit past the scheduled start time of 7 PM for the glaring sun to go down (so the musicians could see their music), things got going with Mozart’s mostly perky and frivolous overture to his final opera, The Magic Flute. The performers played quite well, though it seemed to take a minute or so before they got into the music’s groove. The quality of sound was rather different than what you would hear in an indoor acoustic, especially since the instruments were fairly close to the microphones. Thus the instrumental sonorities came across with a greater degree of instrumental separation, as opposed to a smoother, more “homogenized” ensemble sound.
Mozart himself listening to his works
The close miking also made incidental noises (like valves clicking and musicians breathing) more apparent. Mind you, woodwinds (strings, too) often become balky and harder to play under conditions of high heat and humidity, no doubt contributing to the occasional instrumental flubs we heard. Still, the music effectively delivered its usual contrasting moods of solemn mystery and blithe buffoonery.
Next up was the rarely-heard Petite Symphonie for Wind Instruments by Charles Gounod, who is best-known for his operas. Composed (in the classical symphony format) when the composer was 70, he still managed to fill the piece with youthful high spirits, laced with typical Gallic charm and a sense of blasé detachment. Ms. Yost got the chance to shine as dulcet-toned soloist in several movements, especially the sweet and singing Adagio. Following the bubbly, delightfully syncopated scherzo, the exuberant finale brought the piece to a bright and happy close. The musicians hit their full stride in this one, delivering an accurate and interpretively cohesive performance.
The same went for the evening’s grand finale: Antonin Dvorak’s beloved Serenade for Winds in D minor. There was no flute-part for this one, but Dvorak boosted and smoothed out the bass end here by adding parts for cello (Tim O’Malley) and double bass (Ed Allman). Dvorak, as a boy, played in his hometown band, and the first movement probably reflected occasions from those years. The opening theme, with its exaggerated sense of pompous occasion, may well have been inspired by a visit to his town by some noble personage or official.
festival Director Sandra Nikolajevs addressing the picnic crowd
The following Minuetto offered a graceful dance, with a happily scurrying central episode. The pastoral Andante matched the pleasant atmosphere of the soft, lazy summer night enveloping us. The driving final Allegro molto—with its reprise of the opening movement’s theme—brought both the work and the concert to a resounding finish.
My only complaints here again had to do with the miking. While taking nothing from the high quality of the playing, it did some strange things to the sounds of some of the lower instruments: like the bassoons, and particularly the cello (though only in its upper register). Otherwise, the added strings achieved their mission of enriching the piece’s bass end very effectively.
After highly successful outings of Mozart in the South for two years running, Charleston’s newest music festival seems poised to take its place as a popular and permanent fixture of Charleston’s artistic landscape. Bravo, bravissimo to Chamber Music Charleston Director Sandra Nikolajevs and company for all their hard work in planning and staging it.
Lindsay Koob is the Charleston City Paper’s classical music critic. Follow him on his blog: www.eargasms.com
Well written reviews. Even I, not a musician, enjoyed the various problems and successes encountered, solved, and enjoyed by the musicians. I am able to comprehend and appreciate the many outdoor influences on the instruments.
I, too, look forward to next year’s performances and reviews.