Camerata Pacifica brought five brilliant artists to Hahn Hall at the Music Academy of the West on Friday evening for a program that managed to be both succinct and comprehensive.
It was succinct — one piece each by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Felix Mendelssohn. It was also comprehensive in that both selections were string quintets, written at the top of their composers’ respective forms. The artists were violinists Catherine Leonard and Nurit Pacht, violists Toby Appel and Richard Yongjae O’Neill and the cellist Ani Aznavoorian.
The difficulty lies in being sufficiently objective, in light of what occurred before the actual concert. Artistic director Adrian Spence took the stage to denounce another Santa Barbara music critic in the strongest terms. As a critic, I winced a bit, but as a music lover I had to agree with his thesis — that savaging classical music is simply not OK. Several in the audience called out encouragement to Spence, one man barking, “We don’t read that paper anyway!” More about this below, but first to the concert.
Mozart’s String Quartet in C Major, K 515 was composed only a few years before his tragically early death. Musicologists have said Mozart wrote it, and many other works, mainly out of the desperate need for money. Probably nothing produced out of necessity has ever been so joyful or of such high purpose.
Leonard, an Irish violinist, took the first violin part and made it soar, with Pacht on second violin. Appel played the first viola, his expressive face registering delight. Young O’Neill was visibly focused on the second viola part. Aznavoorian brought her customary grace to the cello line.
After intermission came the Mendelssohn, written a couple of generations after the Mozart but echoing its classicism, along with Mendelssohn’s romantic ideas. The violins and violas switched chairs, and Pacht led the chase with brio. Conversely, O’Neill seemed to relax a bit and obviously enjoyed his first viola part. Again, Aznavoorian played with strength and lyricism, just like always.
Now a few words about Spence’s remarks at the beginning. I have not read any reviews by the offending critic, because I don’t read the newspaper for which he writes. As noted, some audience members expressed similar feelings after Spence spoke.
Spence gave a spirited defense of classical music, classical musicians and composers who are generally revered. He pointed out that concerts such as this one permit audiences and performers to come together and share a communication that only such concerts can provide. He declared that CD recordings are more “perfect” but the communion is in the concert hall. He was vigorously applauded for his stand.
Serious music, commonly called “classical,” is the object of devotion by its practitioners and its listeners. Economics usually require a certain amount of pay-as-you-go (not always; see the Santa Barbara Music Club concerts). But far more important than any financial consideration is the emotional, or even spiritual, component of this music.
It could be compared to attending a religious service at a church, temple or synagogue. Harsh criticism seems out of place.
Margo Kline covers the arts as a Noozhawk contributor.