By Daniel Buckwalter
Chamber Music Amici has a wonderful history of playing lyrical chamber music from master composers that is thoughtful and has the capacity to transport audience members away from the bustle of life.
This was evident again on April 23 when Amici gathered to play the music of AntonÃn Dvořák and Gabriel Fauré in front of a good-size audience at Wildish Theater in downtown Springfield. There was technical brilliance, too, and it was a wonderful way to spend a Monday evening, free of outside noise.
Dvořák’s four-movement String Quartet No, 12 in F Major (American) was first up, featuring violinists Tomás Cotik and Lillie Manis, violist Kim Uwate (it was great to see her on stage again) and cellist Steven Pologe.
Spritely and energetic in spots, it was the achingly soft cries of the Cotik’s violin and Pologe’s cello in the second movement that gripped me the most. Those energetic moments also showcased the wonderful control the quartet had throughout the evening.
It’s a somewhat exhaustive piece, so it made sense that Greg Hopper-Moore, Amici’s executive director, shared some housekeeping remarks afterward so that everyone could catch their breath.
Then it was off to the Fauré piece, Piano Quartet No. 1 in C Minor, where Cotik, Uwate and Pologe were joined by pianist Eunhye Grace Choi, who is also Amici’s artistic director.
This was clean, crisp and lovely from start to finish, and again, I was taken by the gentle, romantic-like elegance of the work. It was vintage Amici, a terrific way to escape the noise of the outside world.
Note: Chamber Music Amici will conclude its season with performances on June 14 and 16 at Wildish Theater, featuring the works of Maurice Ravel and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
