One of the rewards of my role with the Valley Concert Society is the joy of discovering music that is new to me. It happens in almost every concert we present.
O-celli introduced me to Danzon No. 2 by Arturo Marquez. I have listened to that countless times since 2019, and it brings a smile to my face every time. Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio tugs at emotions deep within ever since James Ehnes, Bion Tsang, and Andrew Armstrong closed our season in 2022 with their gripping performance.
Thursday’s performance of Pocket Symphonies by the Bergmann Duo together with Jasper Wood and Sungyong Lim brought new music for me. Although the Symphony in B minor was unlike what I am used to hearing from Debussy, it was a delight. The Duo by Kodály challenged me. I will need to hear it a few more times to discover its heart. That’s not a bad thing.
The big revelation to me on Thursday was not the pieces that were new to me but the old friends that have given me so much pleasure over the years. They taught me that new experiences come not only from the unfamiliar but from hearing the familiar with new ears.
Mendelssohn has long held a prominent place in my personal pantheon of beloved composers, and the Hebrides Overture is one of many works that have elevated him to that eminence. I wondered how this chamber version of the piece would strike me. It turns out that I heartily concur with an audience member who said, “I didn’t miss the orchestra one bit.” Sungyong’s cello captured the dreary Scottish weather, and the Bergmanns on the piano brought us the turbulence of his boat ride. We didn’t need all the woodwinds and brass to feel Mendelssohn’s visceral reaction to Fingal’s Cave.
Beethoven’s Fifth was the opposite experience for me. It was obvious throughout that the massive orchestral forces were not present. But it was an utterly absorbing experience, nevertheless. I was transfixed by the violin. To witness the dazzling intricacy that Beethoven wrote into the masterpiece, intricacy that is often overshadowed by the great waves of sound from a large orchestra, was stunning. Jasper’s performance was nothing short of virtuosic.
Discovering music that is entirely new to me is so enriching. On Thursday Marcel and Elizabeth Bergmann, Jasper Wood, and Sungyong Lim showed me that hearing well-known music with new ears can be just as rewarding.
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A reminder that members of the society are invited to attend an online meeting via Zoom on Monday, October 6, at 8:30 p.m. to pass the minor changes to the financial statement presented at the Annual General Meeting. Please let us know of your wishes to attend so we can email you the link to the meeting and a copy of the statement. info@valleyconcertsociety.com .
John Wiebe - President
The Valley Concert Society