The Chamber Players of the Greenwich Symphony includes, seated from left, David Creswell, viola; Susan Rotholz, flute; Diane Lesser, oboe; Andrew Gordon, piano; Standing from left, Krystof Witek, violin; Peter Reit, French horn; Edita Orlinyte, violin; Philip Bashor, clarinet; Mark Davies, bassoon; and Daniel Miller, cello.(Missing from photo: Susan Hytken Metcalf, violin.) Katheen Di Giovanna/Contributed photo
France flavors the first foray into the new season for the Chamber Players of the Greenwich Symphony. On Oct. 11 and 12, the group will salute French composers in the aptly named program, “Vive La France!” which will feature works by Jongen, Saint-Saëns and Jolivet, as well as Roussel Devienne and Satie.
Harpist Victoria Drake will join the group in October, while violist Vincent Lionti, will be the guest artist in the Nov. 8-9 concerts. Those performances, which are billed as “Anniversaries,” mark milestones for two of the composers on the program. Jean Sibelius was born 150 years ago, Henry Cowell died 50 years ago.
Works will include Cowell’s String Quartet No. 4 “United,” “Andante Festivo” for String Quartet by Jean Sibelius, Anton Dvorák’s String Quintet No. 3, “American” in E flat major and Mozart’s lovely String Quintet No. 2 in C minor completes the program.
The Dvorak piece was influenced, according to chamber player cellist Danny Miller, during Dvorak’s stay in America. “It is influenced by songs and dances of the local Kickapoo Native American tribe that the composer heard while staying in Spillville, Iowa,” Miller noted in a recent news release. “The work is also notable for its Western ‘feel’, such as the sounds of trains crossing the immense prairies.”
As March breezes in, so does the “Romance,” which is the title of the program for the March 6 and 7 performances, which will feature David Creswell and Andrew Gordon performing music from “Romeo and Juliet” by Prokofiev, which is among several other pieces.
Trumpet player Wayne DuMaine, is the perfect performer for a program that promises to “Sound the Trumpet” (April 10-11). On the bill is music by 18th century composer Johann Friedrich Fasch, as well as 20th century masters, George Gershwin and Bohuslav Martinu.
Miller describes Martinu’s work “La Revue de Cuisine” as a “sort of Peter and the Wolf for adults without narrator.” Further:
It recounts the attempted infidelities, flirtations, jealousies, and heartbreak of spoon, pot, whisk and dishrag in the kitchen when no one else is around. Written in Paris, originally as a ballet, this is Martinů at his most whimsical and features tango, habanera and Charleston dances, all in a style from the Jazz age.
The Chamber Players perform Sundays at 4 p.m. at the Round Hill Community Church, (with the exception of Nov. 8, which will be at St. Barnabas Church ) and Mondays at the Bruce Museum at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $30 for adults; $5 for students. For information, call 203-637-4725 or visit the Players here.
