Festival continues high standard
Music Review
Toolbox
Published: February 6, 2010
By JIM LOWE
Times Argus Staff
COLCHESTER – Soovin Kim and his Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival returned Wednesday for an encore of some of its summer offerings, reminding its loyal audience of last summer’s high performance level and preparing it for “bigger and better” planned for Aug. 22-29.
The program, at St. Michael’s College’s Elley-Long Center, the festival’s home, was comprised of performed works performed last summer by Beethoven, Chopin, Dvorak and David Ludwig, but not necessarily by the same personnel. The concert also served to re-introduce Canadian clarinetist Romie de Guise-Langlois, a particularly warm and expressive musician, and a Marlboro Festival alumna.
The highlight was Ludwig’s compelling and fresh-sounding “Flowers of the Desert,” commissioned by the festival and premiered last summer. The inspiration came from a news story of a young burglar being shot by a store owner not once but multiple times using two guns to finish the job. Opening with a shock and ensuing tragic line by the clarinet, the work abstractly, rather than programmatically, follows the very uncomfortable story, ending with a sad and lamenting hymn. De Guise-Langlois, Kim on viola, and pianist Jeewon Park delivered a particularly sympathetic and moving performance.
Far more exuberant was Dvorak’s “Dumky” Trio, Opus 90, an in-your-face dramatic and virtuosic piece for all three instruments. Park, Kim, this time on violin, and cellist Edward Aaron played with passion, accuracy and flair. Although an occasional relaxation of intensity would have made it more colorful, it was certainly an exciting performance.
Beethoven’s Trio in B-flat Major, Opus 11, for clarinet, cello and piano received a stylish and particularly expressive performance. Park was unusually reserved but blended well with de Guise-Langlois and Aaron achieving a rich sound as well as Beethoven’s dramatic power and beauty.
Wednesday’s program opened with a well-matched performance of Chopin’s Polonaise Brilliante in C Major, Opus 11, by Aaron and Park – not so surprising, as they are husband and wide. This festival continues with an extremely high level of performance, boding well for the coming summer.