As part of its efforts to mix music with an art exhibit currently on display, the Driehaus Museum hosted members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for an evening of chamber music at Murphy Auditorium on Tuesday. CSO violinists Mihaela Ionescu and Hermine Gagné, violist Wei-Ting Kuo, cellist Richard Hirschl, and flautist Jennifer Gunn performed music by Philip Glass, Ludwig van Beethoven, and George Whitefield Chadwick. After a great start, the performance had some challenges.
The art exhibit in question is fascinating. A Tale of Today: Materialities brings together 14 contemporary artists to express in objects and sculptures various items and themes found in the museum. In doing so, the artists create site-specific installations reflecting historical, cultural, and ecological significance of the items. Guest curator Dr. Giovanni Aloi presented a very informative slide show explaining the pieces on display in the Driehaus Museum. See link to our review of the exhibit below.
Following Dr. Aloi, the string quartet formed by Ionescu, Gagné, Kuo, and Hirschl played a very charming piece by Philip Glass, Quartet Satz. Instead of the constant, minimalist motion that characterizes much of Glass’s music, Quartet Satz opens with quiet melodies traded amongst the players. Eventually the typical background emerges in a very complementary way. The performance fully captured the charm of this piece.
Up next, Gunn joined Ionescu and Kuo for Beethoven’s Serenade for flute, violin, and viola in D-major, Op. 25. Due to its rather odd instrumental arrangement, this work is rarely performed. It’s an example from early in Beethoven’s career when he emulated the styles he inherited from Mozart, who wrote several serenades for parties and celebratory occasions. To that end, Beethoven’s six-movement work is rather lighthearted and gentle. Within a couple of short years, Beethoven’s music would completely do away with this compositional approach.
In this performance, Gunn’s flute provided a great juxtaposition with the violin and viola. There was a nice balance between the instruments, as they would take turns playing the main themes while the others would offer backup. It would be easy for a flute to overpower, but not Tuesday evening.
While the phrasing was clear with simultaneous starts and stops, the problem was intonation in the strings, which prevented the music from gelling. As the performance continued, Kuo did some retuning. However, Ionescu’s tuning was also slightly off, and her attempt to correct it didn’t help. Phrase endings, while uniform, did not resonate well.
Following intermission, the string quartet returned to perform George Whitfield Chadwick’s String Quartet No. 4 in e-minor. This was my first exposure to this Boston-based composer whose lifespan straddled the turn of the 20th century. The excellent program notes provided a detailed biography and explanation of this piece.
The performance had many good features. There was nice interaction between the players, and great transitions between the various sections. However, intonation was still a problem, and the sound got very muddy. The finale opened with the violins and viola playing in unison, but someone wasn’t completely in tune. The cello was generally good, but there were times when he was a bit off, too.
It is unfortunate that my introduction to this composer and piece was not inspiring. The audience response was also rather tepid, with only two ovations. People did not stand for the first ovation, but they did for the second.
A Tale of Today: Materialities continues at Driehaus Museum until April 27. For more information and tickets, click here.