An unusually hot and humid night combined with a program of music by
Austrian masters, may not have looked too promising for a vacation concert.
But, thanks to the sweat and savvy of the Walden Chamber Players the
audience in Nantucket's Congregational Church was treated to a very
worthwhile two hours of serious, but transporting, music.

Made up of a shifting ensemble of wind, string, and brass players (many
of whom have played with the BSO and comparable orchestras) the WCP has
the flexibility to offer a variety of programs.  Their mission statement
indicates a commitment to making music accessible to "rural and
underserved" areas (Nantucket??) and developing programs which explore
"particular moments in history, social statements or the relationships
between composers."

In this instance we got a popular Hadyn Piano Trio (in G major, Hoboken
15-25), a less frequently heard Beethoven String trio (op.9 No.1) and the
Brahms Trio for piano, violin and vald horn in Eb major, Op.  40.  (There
was also a short piece by John Harbison which, while interesting, didn't
seem to fit the program in any way other than being for the same string
trio combination as the Beethoven.)

The night before the concert the group's ebullient artistic director,
Christoff Huebner led a discussion of the music to be played.  I was
interested particularly in the influence the technology of instruments has
on the composition of the music.  When Brahms wrote the trio he clearly
stated a preference for the "vald horn" over the newly developing "valve"
horns of his day.  Horn player David Ohanian demonstrated the difference
and though he played on the "more reliable" modern horn, one was left with
a clearer understanding of the ways in which composers use the resources at
their disposal.

The Brahms is a very interesting piece.  As a piano student I was
interested in the particular demands an ensemble without a cello places on
the instrument.  Bonnie Anderson demonstrated the change of focus required
fin moving from a piece like the Haydn to one like the Brahms where, as she
put it, she has to play from "down-here" to ground the trio when the horn
is playing its part in the unfolding of the themes.

On the topic of technology, an aside:  Ms Anderson teaches part-time
at UMass-Lowell, an urban, commuter school oriented less towards the
liberal-arts than towards professional development.  When I expressed
surprise that such a school would have enough demand for piano performance
studies, she told me that they have an excellent program for Sound
Reproduction Technology.  The department feels strongly that to be well
prepared engineers and producers must have the experience of studying and
playing an instrument!  I found this very encouraging.

Except for Mr.  Huebner none of the players was included in the list of
player biographies included in the press kit I obtained; perhaps they are
not regulars.  In addition to Ms Anderson and Mr.  Ohanian however, I was
also impressed by violinist Catherine French and cellist Mihail Jojatu, who
gave a wonderful display of both the enjoyment and the hard work of making
music as he completely sweated through his shirt and jacket!

Organizations (in the Boston area or nationally) who are looking for
residencies or guest artists would do well to consider this group.
They can be reached through their Executive Director Susan Spelman
at 518-781-4816.

Naturally, the standard disclaimer applies:  I am not in any way affiliated
with the organization.

Ed