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| Director, Jason Dewater |
Wow, we have a blog! I want to start out by saying thanks to Lori Benton for her hard work- Thanks, Lori, and welcome to the Consort! You have been such an incredible addition to our team and your energy and expertise are so appreciated.
Has everyone seen our wonderful posters? If not, check out Shelly Jeffries’ amazing work. The Consort team is so fortunate to have her on board this season. Thanks, Shelly, from all of us at the Consort!
Well, it happened over a glass of wine… the inception of the Consort that is. Larry and I were talking about chamber music and its presentation during a conversation where we also discussed good wine and the proper glass. The perfect wine in the wrong glass can taste, well, forgettable. The best chamber music performed by the finest musicians in an inappropriate space is also very forgettable.
Imagine presenting Beethoven’s Ninth- Chorus and all- in a moderately sized space that can seat no more than 100 people. Impossible right? Deadly probably. Musically unthinkable! Now realize that we have been doing the equivalent to our chamber music masterpieces for decades without blinking. A concert hall meant for a mighty symphony hosts a Mozart serenade for eight players. A magnificent cathedral presents a Beethoven quartet instead of Missa Solemnis. No lives have been lost, I believe, but what about the music?
We know that sound diffuses over large spaces and the same is true of articulation, dynamics, clarity, and, most important, intimacy. Chamber music is, I believe, the apex of music making. Without a conductor each player must lead when necessary, be a soloist often, and always know when to step back and blend. Changes are made on the fly and musical interpretation is passed throughout the group like a proverbial “hot potato” that changes with each reading. It’s exciting, it’s fun to watch, and its power touches the soul of patron and performer alike.
Larry and I knew that if we brought the finest chamber music to Omahans in the “right glass” we’d have something good. Ask anybody who’s been a part of a night with the Consort - they will let you know how good our 2011 vintage has been! Or better yet, come enjoy a glass or two with Larry and I on November 21st, and experience firsthand a world-class presentation of Winds Around the World.
Stay tuned as I update this blog with introductions to works that we’ll play and the musicians you’ll meet on November 21st.
