Dohnányi quintet a tasty goulash at Mimir Chamber Music Festival

By SCOTT CANTRELL / The Dallas Morning News
scantrell@dallasnews.com

FORT WORTH – Whip up a sauce of rich Brahmsian harmonies, toss in a heady dash of paprika, turn up the youthful passion and what do you get? Why, the C minor Piano Quintet of Ernst von Dohnányi, which made for quite a stirring close to Tuesday evening's Mimir Chamber Music Festival concert.

Dohnányi, a Hungarian pianist and composer (and grandfather of conductor Christoph von Dohnányi), was all of 18 when he penned the Piano Quintet, in 1895. Budapest and Vienna were still part of the same crumbling empire, and Brahms was a widely revered éminence grise.

Dohnányi's melodies are shorter-breathed than Brahms', and the finale improbably drops a fugue into some, well, immature music. But never mind: The piece is a great romp, and it's hard to imagine it more lovingly – and more excitingly – played than by pianist Alessio Bax, violinists Curt Thompson and Erin Keefe, violist Che-Yen Chen and cellist Brant Taylor.

Though assembled from hither and yon, these musicians sounded as if they'd been playing together for years. They were all superb, but Mr. Bax made an especially powerful and expressive case for the big piano part.

If a single player has stood out in this year's Mimir concerts, at Texas Christian University's PepsiCo Recital Hall, it's been Mr. Taylor. While there have been alternate violinists, violists and pianists, Mr. Taylor has been the cellist. Even with all this music to play, he has been spinning out one elegantly nuanced phrase after another.

If his three colleagues in the Verdi E minor String Quartet had been as lovingly attentive to shape and direction of phrases, this piece might have seemed less deserving of its obscurity. The first movement's lyric second theme, succulently harmonized, is an oasis of quite special beauty. The rest of the piece, while pleasant enough, passes in one ear and out the other. Ms. Keefe, Mr. Thompson and Mr. Chen played capably, but without Mr. Taylor's magic.

Opening the concert, Ms. Keefe and Mr. Bax offered a group of tangy Bartók arrangements of Romanian folk dances. The final "Mãruntel" whipped up quite a stomp and swirl.

PLAN YOUR LIFE The final Mimir Chamber Music Festival concert is at 7:30 p.m. Friday at PepsiCo Recital Hall, Texas Christian University, University and Cantey, Fort Worth. $25; discounts for students, seniors. 817-257-5443, www.mimirfestival.org. Read more!

String quartets shine in Mimir festival performances

By SCOTT CANTRELL / The Dallas Morning News
scantrell@dallasnews.com

FORT WORTH – Saturday evening's Mimir Chamber Music Festival concert, at Texas Christian University's PepsiCo Recital Hall, included top-notch performances of two great 20th-century string quartets.

One of the most ingratiating of Shostakovich's 15 quartets, No. 7 moves from delicate little dance to poignant lament to a diabolical dither.

It got a riveting performance from violinists Akiko Tarumoto and Stephen Rose, violist Kirsten Docter and cellist Brant Taylor.

Apart from a slightly soggy announcement of the opening three-note motif, this was music-making of laser- chiseled precision, but with expressive "give," too.

Hearing a no less gripping account of Sibelius' Voces Intimae Quartet (in D minor, Op. 56), one could only wonder why so compelling a piece is so rarely performed. Few would immediately guess the composer, although it echoes his symphonies' motoric busyness and grand rhetorical gestures.

The players here were Mr. Rose, Nathan Cole, Ms. Docter and Mr. Taylor. Unisons, octaves and surprising chords were tuned with startling precision. Virtuoso writing was coordinated with virtuoso assurance. Contrasts of tension and (relative) repose registered with visceral impact.

Mozart's own piano-quintet arrangement of his C major Piano Concerto, K. 415, had the thoroughly professional services of pianist John Novacek, Curt Thompson, Ms. Tarumoto, Ms. Docter and Mr. Taylor.

Mr. Novacek's expressive face recorded the music's every harmonic surprise, and when unaccompanied he daringly – and deliciously – stretched and contracted rhythms.

The music's wit, even mischief, was nicely highlighted. But there were also patches where the performers settled for "mere" professionalism.

PLAN YOUR LIFE The Mimir Chamber Music Festival continues with concerts at 3 p.m. today and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Friday at PepsiCo Recital Hall, Texas Christian University, University and Cantey. $25; discounts for students, seniors. 817-257-5443, www.mimirfestival.org. Read more!

Mimir Festival Opens Season with Beethoven

By CHRIS SHULL
Fort Worth Star-Telegram

FORT WORTH — The Mimir Chamber Music Festival opened its 11th summer season Thursday with an all-Beethoven recital at PepsiCo Recital Hall at Texas Christian University. The program was pointed in its focus on Beethoven’s unsurpassed genius. Three Beethoven pieces were performed: the String Quartet in E-flat, Op. 127; variations on the song "Ich bin der Schneider Kakadu" for ... Read more!

Mimir, Fine Arts chamber music festivals favor Beethoven

By SCOTT CANTRELL / The Dallas Morning News
scantrell@dallasnews.com

July is chamber music month around here.

The Mimir Chamber Music Festival begins its annual concert series tonight at Texas Christian University's PepsiCo Recital Hall. The all-Beethoven program includes the String Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 133, and the Grosse Fuge, plus the piano trio variations on "Ich bin der Schneider Kakadu."

Sunday afternoon, Dallas' Fine Arts Chamber Players moves its annual Basically Beethoven Festival to a new venue: Rosine Hall at the Dallas Arboretum. After a 2:30 p.m. prelude performance by young artists Jimmye Ahn (clarinet) and Rira Lin (piano), the 3 p.m. concert will feature violinist Ivo Ivanov, violist Cornelia Demian and cellist Gayane Manasjan in string trios by Beethoven (in E-flat major, Op. 3) and Ernst von Dohnányi.

Here's a look at both festivals – how they came about and what happens onstage and behind the scenes.

Mimir Chamber Music Festival

The Mimir festival is both a concentrated summer-study program for outstanding young musicians and a concert series. Named for the Norse god of wisdom, it was begun in 1997 by violinist Curt Thompson, who was newly appointed to the TCU faculty, and pianist Johan Fröst.

"We were classmates at Rice University," says Dr. Thompson, who holds a doctorate from Rice. "Initially, we wanted to start it in Sweden, where he was from. But when I got the job at TCU, we decided to start it here."

Although other summer programs for young musicians offer concentrations in chamber music, Mimir's exclusive focus was inspired by similar festivals at Marlboro, Vt., and Taos, N.M.

In addition to Dr. Thompson, director of the festival, faculty and performers include members of the Chicago Symphony and Cleveland Orchestra and the Cavani Quartet. Pianists include Alessio Bax, John Novacek and TCU's José Feghali.

Although assembled only for the 12-day festival, Mimir's faculty regularly blends into some of the best chamber music performances to be heard around here. And they venture beyond well-worn hits of the repertory: This year's concerts include lesser-known string quartets by Verdi, Grieg and Janácek, plus a piano quintet by Dohnányi and a piano duo by the late Witold Lutoslawski.

"Programming is something we spend a lot of time on," Dr. Thompson says. "I'm excited about this season because it has so many composers that are well-known, but probably not for these particular pieces."

This summer's Mimir festival has 18 "young artists," as the students are called.

"We typically have high-school kids as well," Dr. Thompson says, "but they're all college students this year. The oldest is about 28, in a doctoral program."

TCU, Southern Methodist University and Rice are leading sources for this summer's students, but six have come from the Cleveland Institute of Music, two from the University of Southern California and one from the Manhattan School of Music. All are given free tuition.

"Most festivals can't do that," Dr. Thompson says. "It is something we're proud to be able to do for them at no cost other than their transportation here and their housing." Read more!