A VentiCordi Chamber Music concert Sunday at Woodfords Congregational Church in Portland. Photo by Woody Leland
The VentiCordi Chamber Music concerts, presented by the Portland String Quartet Society, provide an opportunity to hear a mix of short chamber pieces in the cordial atmosphere of afternoon performances at the Woodfords Congregational Church in Portland.
Though it might seem set up to be an occasion for polite and orderly performances of consonant, small group sublimity, the music selected by artistic directors Kathleen McNerney and Dean Stein for Sunday’s program had some considerable bite to it, sometimes playful, sometimes sharp.
Joining McNerney (oboe) and Stein (violin) were Bridget Convey (piano), Wren Saunders (bassoon) and Jing Li (cello) for duos, trios and a quintet that challenged the ear and, at times, the emotions.
In that latter category was Jonathan Bailey Holland’s quintet “Synchrony” (2015). This dramatic work adds brief recorded excerpts, from sources ranging from a speech by President Obama to the “I can’t breathe” recording of Eric Garner’s last words, to contextualize the composer’s tangled feelings as an African American living and working in these times.
The musicians offered stark, ominous passages of extreme dissonance amid tense, tolling piano chords, well placed by Convey. Reminiscent of some of the classic compositions coming out of wartime periods of the past, the work brought home that, even in a brightly lit church hall, strong music can also make note of moments of darkness.
At another extreme was André Previn’s “Trio for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano” (1994). Famous for crossing genres and styles, Previn proved in this work that he could compose serious contemporary music while adding jovial touches that blended his formal abilities with a light spirit inclined toward entertaining. McNerney’a oboe work particularly captured the warmth of the piece at Sunday’s concert.
The oldest piece in the program, legendary music educator Nadia Boulanger’s “Trois Pièces for Oboe, Cello, and Piano” (1914) added a touch of the familiar by way of its Impressionistic contours. Cellist Li stood out in a lively close as she had earlier in the program during “Duo for Violin and Cello” (2015) by Jessie Montgomery.
Subject to quite a bit of attention in recent years, midcareer composer Montgomery, as indicated by this Sunday piece, is bold in her demands on the player’s abilities to keep up with an uneasy lyricism that has them strumming, plucking and sliding notes to achieve an exacting convergence. Stein and Li looked like they were having a lot of fun along the way on Sunday. The small audience chuckled after the close.
John Steinmetz’s “Songs and Dances for Violin and Bassoon” (2011) produced a gentle sense of scurrying around contrapuntal passages that honored, while gently deconstructing, some delicate harmonies. Bassoonist Saunders and violinist Stein combined to conjure some lively and quite pleasant musical experiences.
The balance of high spirits and somber realities made for an engaging afternoon of VentiCordi music that both challenged and entertained.
Steve Feeney is a freelance writer who lives in Portland.
This story was updated at 10:10 a.m. on Dec. 19 to correct the concert’s presenter.
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