Shaub and friends play dazzling concert

Harold DuckettFeature, Our Town Arts

About 30 seconds into Knoxville Symphony Orchestra concertmaster William Shaub and principal violist Kathryn Gawne’s performance of Norwegian composer Johan Halvorsen’s 1894 “Passacaglia in G Minor on theme of Handel,” it was obvious the audience at the Knoxville Museum of Art was in for a special evening of music.

Originally written by Halvorsen for violin and cello, it is based on the sixth dance form in Handel’s 1720 “Suite No. 7 in G Minor for Harpsichord,” HWV 432. A passacaglia is a kind of Spanish street dance, instead of the more formal ballroom dance forms used in Baroque music. It has been transcribed for several instrument combinations.

Both Shaub and Gawne were on top of it from the start, with Shaub’s violin taking the lead and Gawne’s viola playing the secondary role, occasionally switching places.

The first section was lovely and tender. There were also busy flourishes and little skipping phrases, along with moments of ghostly harmonics, off-set with high drama.

Next Shaub gave a dazzling performance of J. S. Bach’s “Sonata No. 3 in E Major for Violin and Obbligato Harpsichord,” BWV 1016, written over a span of six years, 1717-1723, with Emi Kagawa playing an electronic keyboard set the harpsichord mode. An Obbligato part is one that is required to be there, but plays a secondary role to the main instrument. Unfortunately, the volume setting on the keyboard rendered much of her playing too soft to hear.

Violinists William Shaub and Sean Claire play Vivaldi’s “Concerto for Two Violins in A Minor” at the Knoxville Museum of Art. Joining them (clockwise from left) are Gordon Tsai, Edward Pulgar, I-Pie Lin, Emi Kagawa, Kathryn Gawne and Andy Bryenton; not seen behind Bryenton is Steve Benne.

Bending and swaying as he played, Shaub conveys the music as much with his body language as with his playing.

There were moments in the two movements Shaub played from 18th century Italian composer Giuseppe Tartini’s fiendishly difficult “Violin Sonata in G Minor,” Bg.5, widely known as the “Devil’s Trill Sonata,” that Shaub seemed demon-possessed himself. It is written for solo violin and basso continuo, usually played on harpsichord, as it was here by Emi Kagawa.

After an intermission rest, Shaub was joined by violinists Gordon Tsai, Edward Pulgar, Sean Claire and I-Pei Lin, violist Kathryn Gawne, cellist Andy Bryenton, bassist Steve Benne and Kagawa for performances of the “Seasons” concertos by Antonio Vivaldi: the “Autumn and Winter” movements from Vivaldi’s 1721 “The Four Seasons” and Vivaldi’s “Concerto for Two Violins in A Minor” RV 522.

“The Four Seasons” was written as four related violin concertos meant to be played sequentially, for solo violin and orchestra. Vivaldi was a flamboyant dandy; a show-off who traveled widely and wanted everyone to know how good he was. He backed up his claims with music that still amazes everyone as to how well he told his musical stories.

Hearing the two concertos played by the smallest number of instruments, one each of the strings except for the four violins and solo violin, gave the music exceptional clarity for hearing each distinct voice.

The moments between Shaub’s violin, accompanied by Bryenton’s quiet cello were especially charming and lovely. So were the bold sections with Benne’s bass providing solid footing.

The alternations between bold passages and delicate, soft phrases gave the music drama after the sections of the music that celebrated the harvest, followed by the villagers falling asleep. All of this was set up by the poetry Vivaldi wrote to tell the story of the music.

The exchanges between Shaub and Claire in the double concerto were equally endearing, along with the playing of all the others.

Collectively, this was a concert that will stick in my memory, played by musicians who have become first-rate chamber music artists. The Concertmaster performances have become don’t-miss evenings of superb music.

The next two Concertmaster concerts are scheduled for Jan. 9 and April 3, 2019. Tickets: 865-291-2210 or www.knoxvillesymphony.com.

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