The Richardson Chamber Players continued its journey into the musical development of the New World with a concert Sunday afternoon in Richardson Auditorium centered largely on Antonin Dvorak's arrival in New York City in 1892 and his charge to the next generation of American composers to look to indigenous tradition for inspiration. Artistic co-directors Michael Pratt and Nathan Randall used Dvorak's influence to focus the program on two slices of Americana — Native American culture and Aaron Copland's musical interpretation of the American landscape.
The first two composers represented in the concert were linked by their interest in Native American culture and its applicability to music. Arthur Farwell incorporated Native American elements into a number of his works, and his string quartet The Hako is a musical depiction of a Pawnee ceremony promoting social unity and trade between tribes. The quartet of players, violinists Lisa Shihoten and Sunghae Anna Lim, violist Nicholas Cords and cellist Sophie Shao drew out the dissonances of the work effectively, changing moods together and keeping the rhythms precise. What melody there was in this piece often belonged to the cello, which Ms. Shao played with richness and subtlety. Despite all the musical jaggedness, there were parts of this work that were tonal and light — not unlike European chamber works of the same period. The precision of the performers and attentiveness of the audience was marred by the Richardson staff yet again allowing people into the hall in the middle of pieces.
The Richardson Chamber Players' next concert on April 30, will present a program of music From the Ivy League at 3 p.m. in Richardson Auditorium. Ticket information can be obtained by calling the Richardson box office at (609) 258-5000.
Charles Tomlinson Griffes took a lightly different approach to incorporating Native American influences into his music by drawing on music of the Chippewa tribe. His Two Sketches Based on Indian Themes for string quartet focused on the exotic elements of the music, including a mournful song in the viola, accompanied by the drone of the cello.
Following these two indigenously based selections, the concert turned its attention to American compositional style in the early part of the 20th century. George Antheil's Sonata No. 3 for Violin and Piano, composed in 1924, shows evidence of Stravinsky, as well as foreshadowing the jazzy style of Bernstein. Violinist Sunghae Anna Lim, accompanied by pianist Margaret Kampmeier, worked effectively together to create musical effects, and Ms. Kampmeier in particular kept the percussive piano part very steady.
The style of Antheil's work created a natural evolution into that of Aaron Copland, who was also in Europe at roughly the same time as Antheil. Following the aim set forth by Dvorak to find musical inspiration in native culture, Copland painted a number of musical landscapes of America, including his Ballet for Martha, composed for Martha Graham and better known by its later applied moniker, Appalachian Spring.
Conductor Michael Pratt took the work back to its chamber roots, scaling the orchestration down to three solo winds accompanied by a small contingent of strings and piano. At first this seemed an unusual work for the Chamber Players, but at this intimate performing level, Mr. Pratt was able to create a much greater musical effect. In addition to the string quartet of players heard in the first half, Mr. Pratt drew in some very talented students to augment the ensemble. The addition of New Jersey Symphony Orchestra principal bassoonist Robert Wagner was an especially nice effect, and together with flutist Judith Pearce and clarinetist Jo-Ann Sternberg, the winds worked together well.
Mr. Pratt kept the familiar themes of this work light and quick, accompanied by the precise piano playing of Ms. Kampmeier. The two celli (Ms. Shao joined by Princeton junior Daniel Hawkins) were very smooth, and the violins were also light and precise. Since its composition in the 1940s, this work has expanded into a sometimes overbearing orchestral mass, but it was clear that this performance was closer to Coplands simplistic view of America.