Message key to concerts

Tim Smith
The Baltimore Sun, Tuesday, May 14, 2002

Concert Artists

My first reaction to the Concert Artists presentation at the Gordon Center in Owings Mills was: So that's what they sound like. I've never had a chance to hear Edward Polochick's choral/orchestral ensemble in an acoustically beneficial venue; its regular hang-out at the College of Notre Dame does the musicians no favors.

Here, the choristers were enveloped in a warm glow as they explored British repertoire, including Elgar's There Is Sweet Music and Britten's Hymn to St. Cecilia, sensitively molded by Polochick. The blend of voices was smooth and elegant, articulation precise. (There should have been some lighting in the hall so the audience could follow along with the texts.)

The strings also enjoyed a remarkable sonic boost when they turned to Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis. It was easy to imagine that there were 40 players, not 20. Polochick coaxed a refined, poetic performance from them.

Beethoven's Triple Concerto can't be bothered with imparting deep meaning or stirring up angst. It's too busy having fun. If the work doesn't always find Beethoven at his most imaginative, it sure finds him at his most exuberant. That's how the Concert Artists accepted it, with the considerable help of pianist Anne Schein, violinist Earl Carlyss and cellist Thomas Kraines.

The solo trio encountered a rough patch or two, but never lost the pulse or spirit of the concerto. There was much bravura playing, lots of expressive shading in the slow movement. Polochick was in his usual dynamic form, holding everything tightly together and giving the performance a propulsive kick.

The Gordon Center, which looks as good as it sounds, would make a great home for this organization, if an audience could be enticed into the wilds of suburban Baltimore. Sure would be worth a shot.

 

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