(Left to right: Kevin Matheson, Staley Lyle, Brenda Wittwer, Alex Jones, and Bryan Matheson)
By Susan Paynter
The smooth, mellow tones of the clarinet filled the nave of Emmanuel Church on Friday evening, May 6. It was the final performance of the 2011 Chatham Concert Series, featuring the Pittsburgh Philharmonic Orchestra’s Principal Clarinetist, Alex Jones.
The program was one of romantic music for clarinet and strings as Jones was joined by Chatham Concert Series Artistic Director Kevin Matheson on violin, Bryan Matheson on viola and violin, and Brenda Wittwer once again accompanying on piano. In the tradition of the series, a young music student gained performance experience as eleven-year-old Staley Lyle took the stage for the first post-intermission piece.
But let’s begin at the beginning. Jones opened the concert playing two clarinets (one at a time!) for George Gershwin’s Three Preludes for Clarinet & Piano, with Wittwer on piano. Gershwin’s music demanded much from Jones and his considerable talent as well as the full range of both his B-Flat and A Clarinets. The audience, unable to hold its appreciation, applauded enthusiastically after each of the three movements.
Next came Darius Milhaud’s Suite for Violin, Clarinet & Piano. Originally written as incidental music for a play, it shone on its own with the technical skill and fluency of Jones, Kevin Matheson and Wittwer.
Bryan Matheson and Wittwer joined Jones for four of Eight Pieces for Clarinet, Viola and Piano by Max Bruch. They must have been difficult pieces, but the three artists played so fluidly that the audience was allowed to simply enjoy.
Following intermission and young Lyle’s talented turn with a complicated concerto of Johann Sebastian Bach, accompanied by Bryan Matheson on violin; it was time for Robert Schumann’s Fantasy Pieces for Clarinet, Viola and Piano. Lighthearted, fun and a showcase for the superior skills of all three musicians, the music – we were surprised to learn – was written just prior to Schuman’s psychological breakdown and attempted suicide.
The exotic music of Aram Khachaturian was next: Trio for Clarinet, Violin and Piano. Khachaturian showed his great talent early with this music, written as a student project and inspired by the folk music of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Khachaturian’s native Georgia.
How well the clarinet, played by a master like Jones, evokes the aura of the exotic lands of the Caucasus region! Folk inspired it may have been, but this was not simple music. As Bryan Matheson said after the concert, in appreciation of Jones, brother Kevin, and Wittwer, “The Khachaturian was wicked hard!”
It was a grand finale to the concert and the series when all four musicians collaborated on Paquito D’Rivera’s “Danzon.” The understructure of a strong Latin rhythm and the overlay of the sophisticated musical patterns of the classical style highlighted the talent and flexibility of all the musicians. Kevin Matheson courageously and successfully stepped out of what must be a classical musician’s comfort zone to groove to the music with some improvisation.
It was a fine evening. The intimacy of the venue allowed the audience to practically reach out and touch the musicians. It’s sometimes easy to forget how hard musicians work, but there was no mistaking it this night. You could see it in the performers’ perspiration, in the serpentine movements of Jones’ body as he coaxed the music from his clarinet, in the focused concentration on the brows of all four artists.
We’ve been so fortunate to be able to host this series. World-class musicians have made room in their schedules for multiple rehearsals before each performance, and have given their gifts of time, labor and talent to this community. To quote young Staley Lyle, “It was really cool. I had a blast!”
Make no mistake: the appreciation flows in all directions. Before the concert began, Kevin Matheson spoke and gratefully thanked Emmanuel for our support of the series. Alex Jones wrote a note on a concert program and pinned it to our bulletin board: “Great place to play. Love the church! Thanks for hosting me! Alex Jones, Clarinet.”
And community members are equally grateful to be able to attend fine musical performances without leaving Chatham.