MiV Home
Phillip T Young Recital Hall
October 2, 2009
According to the great Jack Brymer, "the ability to play the clarinet is the ability to overcome the imperfections of the instrument. There's no such thing as a perfect clarinet, never was and never will be."
Those who have heard her playing over the last twenty years, will know that UVic's Patricia Kostek most certainly has the ability to which Brymer refers. According to his obituary in The Guardian in September 2003, Brymer was chosen by Sir Thomas Beecham for his "innate musicality and rich sound", words which could equally apply to Kostek.
Friday evening's celebration was precisely that and to have attracted such a - relatively-speaking - large audience was an indication of how many friends and admirers Kostek has in this town.
The opening works comprised the "serious" part of the programme, although it would take a far sterner man than I to consider Mozart's Divertimento No.2 "serious".
Arranged for two clarinets (Kostek and present pupil Liam Hockley) and bass clarinet (past pupil Rebecca Hissen), the stylish performance combined elegance, beauty and jollity.
Alban Berg's Four Pieces, of 1913, were another matter entirely.
Bruce Vogt joined Kostek for an intense, concentrated and virtuosic performance of what, for many people, remains - almost a century after its composition - difficult music.
Having, as it were, extracted this penance from the audience, Kostek relented and the remainder of the programme was far more relaxed.
The first half closed with three South American pieces for four clarinets (Hissen and Tom Ackerman sharing the bass duties).
These were a constant delight. Lively, with a real swing in their steps and beautifully played. The final piece of the trio, a tango by the inimitable Astor Piazzolla, featured a wonderful bass line.
The second half opened with a celebration of Kostek's Ukrainian heritage, in the form of the Hutzul Fantasy and the traditional folksong "Ochi Chorniye" ("Dark Eyes").
Tony Booker, Lanny Pollet and Alex Olson joined Kostek, Vogt and Ackerman for the fantasy, which seemed intensely Slavic, with almost exaggeratedly slow passages accelerating into frenzied quick ones and then back.
"Dark Eyes" revealed the unexpected vocal (and linguistic) talents of Booker, as he gave a slow, soulful performance of the song itself, before upping the tempo and launching a faster section which featured marvellous solos from Karel Roessingh (now tinkling the ivories) and Olson.
There then followed three pieces by Sidney Bechet - arguably the first notable jazz soloist, he beat Louis Armstrong into the recording studio by a few months, Duke Ellington once remarked: "I honestly think he was the most unique man to ever be in this music."
All three pieces were delectable, but the highlight for me (and I'm really not sure why this piece is so familiar) was Petite Fleur.
At this point Kostek left the stage for a breather and Ackerman, Olson and Roessingh were joined by Hockley for a performance Hoagy Carmichael's "Stardust" which was, quite simply, magical.
Finally, the star of the show returned for "After You've Gone", which turns out (who knew?) to have been written by one Turner Layton as long ago as 1918. (So why did I know nearly all the words?)
Far too many galas and similar celebratory events concentrate on the performers at the expense of the music, thus resulting in tedious evenings of star-studded superficiality.
This celebration, on the other hand, was judged to a nicety. Diverting, sombre and joyously entertaining by turns, the evening was truly worthy of its principal.
And what can one say about Patricia Kostek that hasn't already been said? Beecham's "innate musicality and rich sound" certainly apply, but there is also an eclecticism and unbounded enthusiasm for many different types of music, which is infectious.
The musical culture of UVic, and indeed of the Capital Region, is richer by far for her presence.
Here's to many more years.
MiV Home