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Church of St. John the Divine
August 28, 2010
Earlier this year, Soile Stratkauskas moved to Victoria from her native Finland. She came with much to recommend her: she has studied with Lisa Beznosiuk and Rachel Brown, two of the leading authorities on early flutes. Still, the proof of the performer is in the listening. On the strength of this evening's performance, Stratkauskas is a valuable addition to the Island and, indeed, the wider West Coast musical scene.
The concert opened with Mozart's Flute Quartet in C Major, K.285b. From the opening bars of the Allegro, it was apparent that Stratkauskas is a master of the baroque flute and not just a moonlighting silver flautist. We were treated to an idiomatic and nuanced performance of this charming music. The flute was supported by warm, sunny playing from the strings. The strong string playing was no surprise to those familiar to these fine musicians from their performances here with the Pacific Baroque Orchestra and other ensembles.
The Quartet continued with the Thema and Variations, where the Thema was tenderly rendered. The other variations were equally pleasing. In one, Luchkow seamlessly stepped forward from among the accompanying strings, like a jazz musician taking a solo, and showed off some fine fiddle playing. In another, the sweet-toned strings playfully tossed the tune around. The work was given a nice, bouncy conclusion with the flute cavorting over pizzicato cello and viola.
Next up was a bit of a novelty, Beethoven's Serenade for Flute, Violin and Viola, Op. 25. Here we find Beethoven at his absolutely most charming and ludic. If you were told that this piece was by Mozart on a cheerful day, you would believe it, with only a few moments of incredulity. The work was given an appropriately genial performance.
Op. 25 is a rather expansive work and its seven movements provide a good deal of opportunity for the three musicians to show their stuff. If, as the programme notes speculate, this work was commissioned by a family of amateur musicians, they must have been unusually accomplished dilettantes.
Stratkauskas's flute was, by turns, swelling, snappy, sparkling and bouncy. Both Luchkow and Creswell stood out with their clean, vibrato free playing. In the absence of a cello, the viola part is unusually prominent and Creswell did an excellent job of providing a strong foundation for the entire work. The work concluded with a brisk sprint to the finish which, I am pleased to report, ended in a three-way tie.
Immediately after the intermission, we heard Haydn's Divertimento for Flute, Violin and Cello in G Major, Hob. IV: 7. The work begins with a spritely Allegro, which is followed by a reflective Adagio: one of the few introspective moments on offer this evening. It was given a suitably contemplative reading, which segued into the closing Allegro, with the flute and violin frolicking over a rock solid bass provided by Whittaker's cello.
The evening concluded with Mozart's Flute Quartet, K. 285 in D Major.
Listening to this performance, I was immediately reminded of a remark by Thomas Reid, the great eighteenth-century Scottish philosopher. He found a close analogy between conversation and music. In conversation, he noted, "when two or more persons, of a good voice and ear, converse together amity and friendship, the tones of their different voices are concordant." He finds close "analogies between the harmony of a piece of music, and harmony in the intercourse of minds".
This performance was like nothing so much as a convivial gathering of companionable friends. At times, in the opening Allegro, Stratkauskas's flute danced above its companions, but the dancing was always part of a celebration of good company. In the Adagio, the flute part recalled a plaintive aria. The Rondeau featured Creswell's capering viola and a joyful, but not abandoned, flute. The balance between parts, as throughout the evening, was excellent.
Through the entire evening the musicians were clearly having a good time and this was reflected in their performances.
This was an altogether delightful way to spend a late summer evening. I look forward to hearing more from Stratkauskas, particularly when she is joined by the stylings of Luchkow, Creswell and Whittaker.
Victoria audiences will have another opportunity to hear Stratkauskas on September 18th, when she appears with Nancy Argenta at Alix Goolden Hall in the Early Music Society of the Islands series (www.earlymusicsocietyoftheislands.ca).
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