Another concert tonight. This time at the Huntington Library: a pair of Beethoven piano sonatas – including Op. 90, one of my favorites – and chamber music by Schubert and Schumann presented by Camerata Pacifica. (Review coming Thursday.)
As I sat in the hall waiting for the performance, my memory transported me to a performance I heard more than a decade ago, in another facility on the same grounds. On that occasion, it was Xenakis’ duo for oboe and percussion, Dmaathen, and it was one of the finest performances of anything I’ve ever heard in concert. Nicholas Daniel (oboe) and Ji-hye Jung (percussion) performed this remarkable score with such unhinged power that it almost verged into spirit possession. The work was the centerpiece of a typically inventive program by Camerata Pacifica, which as I recall ranged from Debussy to Takemitsu to Shostakovich.
That, in turn, reminded me of the much missed summer concerts at the Huntington by Southwest Chamber Music from long ago. Performances of Ravel’s Chansons madécasses, Reger’s Clarinet Quintet, a selection of works by Vietnamese composers — these are just a few that I can immediately think of.
These recollections stirred up feelings of gratitude for having heard so many wonderful performances, some by people and organizations no longer with us, as well as gratitude for those groups who are still here. Camerata Pacifica is among the latter, one of the brightest gems in Southern California’s musical culture. The continued dedication of its artistic director Adrian Spence and all of his fellow Camerata Pacifica musicians refreshes one’s faith in the power of music.
