Music Reviews : Opening of Philharmonic Chamber Series

One of the less bruited aspects of Andre Previn’s tenure as music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic was the development of the Philharmonic Chamber Music Society. Previn himself frequently performed on the concerts as pianist, making chamber music an important if not often acknowledged part of his presence in the community.

Monday the fall series of Philharmonic Chamber Music Society concerts began at Gindi Auditorium of the University of Judaism, and there was Previn. There were not a lot of musicians on the stage, or a lot of pieces on the program, but it proved a surprisingly well-chosen offering.

The music of Brahms is probably not generally considered a Previn specialty, although if the matter be considered, a number a strong Previn-led Brahms performances come quickly to mind. On this occasion, Previn, violinists Camille Avellano and Elizabeth Baker, and cellist Gloria Lum, turned to the First Violin Sonata and First Piano Trio.

In the “Regenlied” Sonata, Avellano displayed a technical security and warmth of sound that contradicted her generally cautious interpretation. There was much simplicity and sincerity in her playing, but not the emotional blossom the piece requires for maximum effect.

Avellano and Previn collaborated easily, in a reading of straightforward phrasing. Previn’s supportive efforts were compromised by a Bosendorfer that sounded overly bright and twangy in the lively Gindi acoustic. That was most unflatteringly apparent in the heavily buzzing bass at the beginning of the Adagio, the movement that had the most obvious mechanical lapses but also the least inhibited music making.

The Opus 8 Trio--even in Brahms’ late, compacted revision--is a work of symphonic scope, expansively built and heroic to perform. Baker, Lum and Previn approached it with a firm sense of overall direction which did not preclude, but rather capitalized on, attention to detail.

The outer movements became serious compilations of collective and individual bravado, initiated by Lum’s fervent, big-boned opening solo. At first, Baker’s smooth playing threatened to become lost in the sonic heat--the Bosendorfer lid was fully raised for the Trio, as it was not for the Sonata--but balances were eventually righted.

It was in the Adagio though, that the three musicians found the expressive core of the work. The nuance of articulation and varieties of timbre and color seemed almost limitless, but there was nothing self-indulgent about their application. The playing was finely meshed, in transparent textures.

The Finale ended unfortunately, with a technically stammered passage from Baker. It did nothing to undermine the nobility of the achievement, however.