Articles

Albuquerque Journal

October 20, 2007

10/18/2007 Concert Review

Young and bursting with talent. That would be an apt way to describe the International Sejong Soloists, who now prefer to be called simply Sejong. Thursday night brought them to the stage of the Lensic Performing Arts Center hosted by the Santa Fe Concert Association in a varied program ranging from Michael Haydn to Dimitri Shostakovich by way of Astor Piazolla.

The members of the New York-based group are predominantly but not exclusively of Asian background hailing from eight different countries. With a beautifully focused and often very delicate string sound, the conductor-less Sejong displays a repertoire from Baroque to contemporary works performed with the clarity and unanimity of style one might expect of a smaller chamber ensemble. The program began with a Notturno in F by Michael Haydn, brother of Joseph and a professional composer in his own right. From its graceful 18th century air to the Shostakovich work which ended the first half was a wide leap indeed. Bridging that gap was the Variations on a Rococo Theme by Tchaikowsky, full of the kind of opulent harmonies that composer was noted for, here in an all-string arrangement. Cellist Ole Akahoshi, the first chair cellist of the ensemble took the difficult solo part, crafted to a significant degree by the cellist Fitzenhagen for whom the composer wrote the work. Akahoshi’s warm, ingratiating tone in the Andante sostenuto was coupled by solid technique traversing the treacherous double stops of the Fifth and Seventh Variations and the extended range of the Fourth-an outstanding rendition. The Prelude and Scherzo of Shostakovich is an early work full of the kind of unorthodox rhythms and harmonies that brought the composer great notoriety at an early age. Sejong wove through its intricate counterpoint masterfully using only an octet of players.

The group began the second half with Elgar’s Serenade for Strings in three short movements, evoking splendidly the English pastoral tradition. But it was Piazolla’s Four Seasons of Buenos Aires (Las cuatro estaciones porteñas) that brought the most excitement. This is clearly not Vivaldi, though there are more than a few built-in homages to “the red-haired priest”; But the style is, not unexpectedly, full of tango rhythms and jazzy harmonies, not to mention a host of arresting percussive effects exacted from the strings. The first three concertos, mirror the earlier work in a fast-slow-fast sequence, and there are virtuosic solo violin passages throughout. The violinist Chee-Yun was to be the guest soloist in this work, but due to a broken collarbone, she was unable to appear. However, misfortune often provides opportunity, and the violinists of Sejong stepped forth brilliantly to perform the solo sections. Leader Frank Huang took the parts in the outer two concertos, with Ji In Yang playing the sweet, languid lines of the Summer season, and Emilie-Anne Gendron, the vigorous double-stops of Autumn. Here too cellist Akahoshi jumped in once again with masterful passagework. The final strains of Winter echo another Baroque work, Pachelbel’s canon.

-D.S. Crafts