Posted on: Wednesday, October 20, 2004
MUSIC REVIEW
Chamber music society marking 50th anniversary
By Ruth Bingham
Special to The Advertiser
The Honolulu Chamber Music Society opened its 50th season Saturday evening with a sold-out performance by the Tokyo String Quartet, composed of faculty from the Yale School of Music and one of the finest chamber ensembles performing today.
Honolulu Chamber Music photo Bringing the world's leading chamber ensembles to Hawai'i, however, required the combined support of private benefactors, the University of Hawai'i, the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra and its musicians, local companies and public subscriptions.
In 1957, the society opened to the public as a subscription series with the famed LaSalle String Quartet performing at the University of Hawai'i. UH continues to host the series, and concerts regularly include Honolulu Symphony musicians alongside national and international groups. The organization has presented nearly 300 concerts by top ensembles.
The society's mission remains to bring leading ensembles to Hawai'i, as evidenced by this year's series.
Concertante 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4 Concertante, a new ensemble based in New York, includes acclaimed soloists who come together to perform rarely heard music for five or more strings. Cypress String Quartet with Scott Anderson, clarinet 4 p.m. Jan. 23 St. Petersburg String Quartet with Paul Galbraith, guitar 7:30 p.m. March 10 Beaux Arts Trio 7:30 p.m. April 14 The Beaux Arts Trio, celebrating its own 50th anniversary, is known for its richness of interpretation. Tickets: $24 general, $15 students, at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa Campus Center ticket office. Charge by phone: 944-2697. The series' opening concert on Saturday lived up to the Tokyo quartet's reputation for vibrant interpretations and an eloquent melding of distinct voices.
Violist Kazuhide Isomura, the only remaining founding member, had the most mellow voice, smoothly interweaving his lines and adding a gentle warmth to his solos. Violinist Kikuei Ikeda blended in when supporting but spoke with authority when assuming the lead voice, his ear seemingly ever on the total sound.
The two newest members, violinist Martin Beaver, who joined the group in 2002, and cellist Clive Greensmith, who joined in 1999, presented the most assertive voices. Beaver lead with a clear, almost sweet tone while dovetailing his part with the others', and Greensmith spoke with singular vibrancy, imbuing the whole with remarkable energy.
They performed Haydn's scintillating Opus 74, No.3, and Dvorak's charming Opus 96, the "American" quartet, as scheduled. Zemlinsky's Quartet No.4, Opus 25, also was scheduled, but one of the parts went missing while they were on tour. Since the Zemlinsky is not a work to be found in every library, the Tokyo Quartet substituted Janacek's wrenching, autobiographical Quartet No.1, the "Kreutzer."
The concert proved an apt celebration of the music society's anniversary, capping 50 years of artistic growth while promising a stellar season. Those in the audience rose to their feet in appreciation, demanding an encore. Correction: The Cypress String Quartet will play Brahms' Clarinet Quintet here in January. A list of upcoming ensemble performances in a previous version of this story,
Fifty years ago, the society began with local musicians performing at the homes of benefactors. The names of those early benefactors included some of the most prominent families then in Honolulu: Judd, Spalding, Simpson, Cook, Hyams, Cades, Gaylord and Parker, among others.
The Tokyo String Quartet kicked off the Honolulu Chamber Music Society's 50th season with a performance on Saturday evening.
In addition to the Tokyo String Quartet, the society will present Concertante, a string sextet based in New York; the Cypress String Quartet, which will include a performance of Brahms' Clarinet Quintet featuring Scott Anderson of the Honolulu Symphony; the St. Petersburg String Quartet with classical guitarist Paul Galbraith; and the esteemed Beaux Arts Trio, also celebrating its 50th anniversary.
HONOLULU CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY 2004-2005 SEASON
