|
Founded in the fall of 1990, the Rembrandt Chamber Players (RCP) is composed of ten of the finest musicians in the Chicago area, including members of the Lyric Opera Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Music of the Baroque. The ensemble successfully maintains an unusually wide repertoire, performing Baroque music in a historically informed manor, to 21st century compositions with eclectic instrumentations. RCP has, since its inception, actively commissioned twelve works by renowned composers from the Chicago area and beyond.
Hailed as “one of the Chicago area’s preeminent chamber music groups” (Chicago Tribune), RCP currently presents four pairs of concerts in Evanston at the Music Institute of Chicago and in Chicago at the Merit School of Music.
The ensemble also appears regularly on fine arts radio station WFMT, both live and in a series of rebroadcasts of concerts during the summers. In 1996, RCP was invited to represent the city of Chicago at the first Greenwich-Docklands Festival in London.
Deeply committed to fostering chamber music education and appreciation, RCP founded an Annual High School Chamber Music Competition in 1995, one of few in the country. The Rembrandt Young Artists program was founded in 2006 and provides numerous performance opportunities and coaching sessions for the competition winners.
Rembrandt Chamber Players performs the diverse repertoire of chamber music in intimate settings in a way that personally engages the audience and conveys the excitement and accessibility of this musical form. To perpetuate chamber music as a living art form, Rembrandt Chamber Players encourages young artists and new composers.
By John von Rhein
Tribune critic
Chicago Tribune
May 6, 2008
The Rembrandt Chamber Players presented a fascinating rarity Sunday at
the Merit School of Music's Gottlieb Hall: Erwin Stein's arrangement
for small ensemble of Mahler's Symphony No. 4.
The concert launched a Mahler project that will include similarly
pared-down transcriptions of the composer's "Songs of a Wayfarer" and
"Das Lied von der Erde" before its completion in 2010.
In 1920 and 1921, Stein and his teacher Arnold Schoenberg prepared
chamber versions of various contemporary scores for performance at
Schoenberg's Society for Private Musical Performances. No critics or
outsiders were allowed into these elitist concert gatherings of
like-minded musicians, whose primary aim was to realize the composers'
intentions with the utmost care and fidelity.
The Fourth is actually the most chamber-ish of the Mahler symphonies to
begin with. Stein scored it for string quintet, flute, oboe, clarinet
(doubling on piccolo, English horn and bass clarinet), piano,
harmonium, percussion and soprano solo. The harmonium, or foot-powered
reed organ, is both an extension of the winds and a substitute for the
missing brass parts.
So artfully crafted is Stein's arrangement, so beautifully wrought was
Sunday's performance under conductor Jane Glover, that you never felt
you were looking at Mahler through the wrong end of a telescope. What
was lacking in sonic richness was made up for by the many gains:
Mahler's textures and counterpoint took on a startling clarity;
instrumental details projected with unusual freshness, charm and
presence.
Glover coaxed wonderfully ripe rubato phrasings from her 12 players,
scaled climaxes deftly but never lost her grip on the grand design. The
scherzo had real sardonic bite, and the finale, a child's vision of
heaven, was affectingly sung by soprano Christine Brandes. Truth be
told, I enjoyed this Mahler much more than the previous week's
enervated Mahler's First by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
The Rembrandt's fine, committed performance whetted one's anticipation
of the Mahler-Schoenberg rarities the ensemble plans to present over
the coming two seasons.
The concert began with a more recent vocal chamber work, Frank La
Rocca's "Veni Sancte Spiritus" (2001), a modern evocation of the
radiant spirituality of ancient chant, with the singer's stanzas
serenely floating atop the simple Aeolian-mode patterns of clarinet and
string quartet.
By Michael Cameron
Special to the Tribune
May 1, 2007
Chicago institutions promoted Osvaldo Golijov for at
least a few years before his appointment as CSO composer-in-residence
in 2006, and in this short time we have been treated to a substantial
chunk of his output. The centerpiece of the Rembrandt Chamber Players
concert Sunday was a rare local performance of his most substantial
chamber work (and one of his most gripping in any genre), "The Prayers
and Dreams of Isaac the Blind" from 1994.
Scored for string quartet and clarinet, this haunting concoction is
standard Golijov fare: a stew of klezmer tunes and Jewish prayers (most
notably, "Our Father, Our King"), blended in an epic five-movement
structure, bound with drones, propulsive riffs and a keen grasp of
string tone and texture.
Isaac the Blind was a 12th Century Kabbalist rabbi from Provence who
asserted that the universe owes its identity to combinations of the
Hebrew alphabet. This is a poignant look at every conceivable response
to loss, from resignation to mourning to visceral rage toward the deity.
The challenge for the quintet was the need to summon every ounce of
classical chops while eliciting the grit of street musicians.
Violinists Robert Hanford and Kathleen Brauer, violist Keith Conant,
cellist Barbara Haffner (all from the Lyric Opera Orchestra) and
clarinetist J. Lawrie Bloom (CSO) nailed it, balancing subtle colors
one moment and pulsating drive the next.
The RCP managed an abrupt about-face with an all-Schubert second half,
including the unrelentingly cheery "Trout" quintet for piano and four
strings. Pianist Jeannie Yu, Hanford, Conant, Haffner and bassist
Collins Trier could have walked through this chestnut blindfolded, but
they instead coaxed a breezy lyricism that cheered their grateful if
modestly sized audience at Evanston's Music Institute of Chicago.
Positive notices of student ensembles are usually tempered by
age-related caveats.
None are needed in describing the remarkably polished and sophisticated
account of the first movement (Allegro non troppo) of Schubert's
"Rosamunde" Quartet by the Ridere Quartet.
By DOROTHY ANDRIES
Pioneer Press Classical Music Critic
Soprano michelle areyzaga sings like an angel, and Every time she
performs she sounds better than the Last time. When she sang with the
lake forest symphony In grayslake in late october, it seemed that
mozart's "exsultate, jubilate" had been written just for her.
Areyzaga has been singing in the chicago area since The late 1990s, but
she seemed to burst onto the north shore music scene in 2004, When she
sang the enchanting "les nuits d'ete" by berlioz with the ars Viva
orchestra at the north shore center for the Performing arts in skokie.
She was engaged the following year to sing benjamin Britten's "les
illuminations."
Last june she appeared with the north shore choral Society, under the
direction of donald chen, for its Big 70th anniversary concert at
pick-staiger concert Hall in evanston. The work was robert schumann's
Massive "paradise and the peri." areyzaga sang the Peri to tumultuous
applause and critical acclaim.
In november she was a soloist with the alan Heatherington's chicago
master singers and his ars Viva orchestra in the mozart "requiem" in
techny's Divine word chapel.
The sunny soprano, who lives in aurora, holds a degree In voice
performance from the chicago college of Performing arts at roosevelt
university and has become A favorite with area conductors. Not only has
she been Tapped by heatherington, but she has come to the Attention of
stephen alltop of northwestern university, Conductor of the apollo
chorus in chicago and director Of programs at alice millar chapel in
evanston.
"she is so flexible and so easy to work with," alltop Said, "in
addition to that radiantly lovely voice." he Has engaged her to sing in
the apollo chorus Presentation of handel's "solomon" the afternoon of
March 4 at the harris theater in chicago.
Areyzaga also has worked extensively with conductor Francesco milioto,
director of programs at the chicago Cultural center and assistant
conductor of the Highland park strings. She sang pamina in his
Production of "the magic flute" last summer and is Scheduled to sing
samuel barber's powerful "knoxville: Summer of 1915" with his new
millennium orchestra jan. 26 at the cultural center.
"michelle sang zerlina in the first opera i did in Chicago back in 1998
or '99," said milioto, who hails From canada. "she has such grace and
poise. The Audience falls in love with her instantly. There is Usually
a barrier between a singer and the audience -- She doesn't have one. In
addition to her fantastic Singing voice, she has this wonderful gift of
making The audience feel she is singing just for them."
As a member of the audience, this critic has been Immediately bewitched
by her dazzling smile, then Grandly entertained by her
ever-more-glowing soprano. And it was apparent that even as we enjoyed
hearing Her sing, she enjoyed singing for us just as much. Compelling
reasons to spotlight michelle areyzaga as Our artist of the year for
2006. Surprise at ravinia
We were prepared to be thrilled by soprano dawn upshaw During the
ravinia festival's presentation june 14 of Osvaldo golijov's opera
"ainadamar" or "fountain of Tears," which told the story of the
execution of Spanish poet federico garcia lorca by spanish fascists In
the 1930s. And we were. The big surprise, however, In the finely-honed
performance by the atlanta Symphony orchestra and chorus led by robert
spano, was Mezzo-soprano kelley o'connor, who bounded on the Stage in
the trouser role of lorca and held us Spellbound. She exuded energy and
verve, becoming the Embodiment of the reckless young poet.
The california native, with her strong, mellow voice, Created the role
in the world premiere at tanglewood And later performed it with the los
angeles Philharmonic in performances conducted by miguel Harth-bedoya
at walt disney hall. In addition to Appearing at ravinia, she sang the
role at the ojai Festival in california, known for its embrace of new
Music. Her voice is on the premiere recording by Deutsche grammophon.
Very impressive for a mezzo only In her late 20s.
Let's hope that ravinia has her back very soon. Superb musician
On march 24, 2006 pianist javier perianes gave a Recital on the stage
of bennett-gordon hall, ravinia's Year-round facility, as part of the
festival's rising Stars series.
From the moment he began a set of schubert's four Impromptus, the
audience sensed that he was something Special.
Dressed entirely in black, perianes played with Deliberate precision
and delicate shading. The music Flowed from his fingers, first
smoothly, then rapidly, Like a silver stream. The third movement,
blessed with One of schubert's many sublime melodies, was played With
heart-breaking tenderness. Yes, this music is Some of the loveliest
ever written for the piano, but He took it to another level of artistic
expression.
The balance of the night was taken up with chopin -- a Wise choice, as
his music often sits well with a Youthful temperament. Perianes played
the composer's Massive ballade no. 4 in f minor with a silken touch,
Never losing the straight spine that runs through the Work. His
performance of the composer's sonata no. 3 Was an intense exposition of
the graceful and the Thundering aspect of the composer's art.
Most of perianes's career has been in spain, where he Is pursuing a
graduate degree at the royal Conservatory of music in madrid. Remember
his name, However. This lad in black is one to watch.
Most tantalizing title
Who can resist a program called "tango & tapas," when It is served
up by such a excellent ensemble as the Rembrandt chamber players. They
perform now in the Acoustically splendid nichols hall in the music
Institute of chicago's evanston facility, giving their Well-planned
programs even greater appeal.
The zany title for the oct. 15 program embraced music By everyone's
favorite astor piazzolla, as well as Alberto ginastera and paquita
d'rivera.
Guest artists, gail williams, horn, william buchman, Bassoon, teresa
fream and yuan-qing yu, violins, and Howard levy, harmonica, added to
the diversity of Sound.
The hit, of course, was "five tango sensations" by Piazzolla, written
for harmonica and string quintet, Complete with the titles asleep,
loving, anxiety, Despair and fear.
Levy's harmonica was soulful, sometimes expressing a Kind of romantic
poignancy, and at others crying out In distress. The final movement was
layered like a Fugue, with players entering one by one and enriching
The mix.
Each time we get in our cars and drive to concert Halls, we hope for
something beautiful, or at least Interesting. With that rembrandt
concert we got both.
This group's next concert is feb. 4, when the music of Contemporary
composer john adams will be played. Interesting, for sure, and who
knows -- maybe even beautiful.
BY DOROTHY ANDRIES
Pioneer Press
October 17, 2006
Why go to a live concert? CDs deliver near technical perfection, and televised
performances give us a much better look at the players. The Rembrandt
Chamber Players answered that question Sunday evening with a program so
fresh and brilliantly played that it was definitely the place to be.
The Music Institute of Chicago's Nichols Concert Hall in Evanston was
the setting for many of the Rembrandt regulars: J. Lawrie Bloom,
clarinet; Keith Conant, viola; Barbara Haffner, cello; Robert Morgan,
oboe; Sandra Morgan, flute; Collins Trier, bass, and Yuan-Qing Yu,
violin.
Guests artists were William Buchman, bassoon; Teresa Fream, violin;
Gail Williams, horn, and Howard Levy, harmonica.
The music came from the Americas -- "Aires Tropicales" by Cuban
composer Paquito D'Rivera; "Impressions de la Puma" by Alberto
Ginastera from Argentina, and "Five Tango Sensations," by Argentinian
Astor Piazzolla.
D'Rivera's piece was a tapestry of many hues, with strands both jagged
and smooth. As ably as the composer devised designs, so skillfully did
the players -- both the Morgans, Bloom, Buchman and Williams -- execute
them. The finale, "Contredanza," overflowed with rollicking Latin
rhythms, accentuated at times by the players stamping their feet.
Sandra Morgan unearthed the out-of-print Ginastera work for flute and
string quartet, and the soulful, flashy music was worth the search.
Piazzolla's tango renderings for string quintet and harmonica concluded
the program, with the harmonica taking the part written for the
bandoneon, the accordion-like instrument from Argentina.
The section titled "Asleep" was unabashedly Romantic in roots and
expression, while in "Anxiety" the harmonica seemed to be crying out in
distress. Levy favored us with an encore, his own dense, daring
rendition of "Amazing Grace."
Sun-Times News Group
©2006-2009 Rembrandt Chamber Players
rembrandtcp@ameritech.net
|
