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(Carmella Fisher, piano, Janet Phillips, flutist, and Kevin Matheson, Chatham Concert Series Director)
By Susan Paynter
In the second of four concerts of the Chatham Concert Series, Flutist Janet Phillips and Pianist Carmella Fisher played to a large and appreciative crowd at Emmanuel on Sunday afternoon, February 13. The program covered pieces from Russia and France, as well as the American Southeast and Southwest.
The program began with Philippe Gaubert’s “Sonata in A major.” Written in 1917, it was one of three sonatas the French composer wrote for flute and piano. “I was transported by the Gaubert,” said audience member Barbara Wilson of the three-movement piece. Flutist Phillips shared with the audience that she had recently been privileged to play on Gaubert’s very own 1874 flute.
The second piece was Katherine Hoover’s “Kokopeli” for solo flute. The American Southwest was certainly evoked by this piece, named for the ancient flute-playing god of the Native American Pueblo people.
Intermission was followed by another American piece for solo flute, Charles Delaney’s “…and the strange, unknown flowers…” Ms. Phillips had studied under Delaney, and hinted to the audience that nearly every note on the scale she’d practiced so relentlessly for him was to be heard in that number. It seemed to be so!
The program closed with – who else? – Prokofiev. Not “Peter and the Wolf,” though, but the four-movement “Sonata in D major,” for flute and piano. Challenging to play, fun to hear, and giving the audience plenty to admire in both musicians.
It was a lovely afternoon. The dreamy quality of music for the flute seemed especially appropriate for the unexpectedly warm and sunny day. No telling what the weather will be like on March 20, but mark your calendar now for the Saturn String Trio (Kevin Matheson, violin; Bryan Matheson, viola; Kayla Hermann, cello) and guest guitarist, Andrew Motten. Violin, viola, cello, guitar… what more could a string-lover ask for?