This was after Alex Sapp performed Fantasy on a Theme by Joni composed by Allison Loggins-Hull. Eric Jacobsen, the conductor, looked on.
Program
Flute Quartet in D Major, K. 285 (1777) by Mozart (1756-1791).
Rhapsody on a Theme by Joni by Loggins-Hull (b. 1982).
Sinfonia Concertante in E-Flat Major for Violin and Viola, K. 364 (1779) by Mozart.
This is another PSC concert. "The Knights" is a group that characterizes itself as "flexible in size and repertory," and "engage ... through vibrant performances that honor the classical tradition ..." The description in the Program Sheet contains many more adjectives, I quoted those that make some sense to me. I counted 23 names in the roster, and the cellist Eric Jacobsen also doubled as a conductor for the pieces that required one. I do wonder why they don't go the entire Orpheus route and do the program without a conductor altogether - admittedly a bit difficult for the Loggins-Hull piece.
Having said all that, this was a delightful concert, bookended by Mozart's flute quartet, and the double concerto for violin and viola. The flute quartet was especially well done, with a great balance between the flute and the three string instruments. The strings were acting mostly as accompaniment for the first two movements. The third movement had a more balanced dialog among the instruments. The double concerto could use more precision and better balance, but the soloists brought out a compelling interpretation of the piece.
Before her piece was performed, Allison Loggins-Hull had a brief conversation with Eric Jacobsen on the piece. She remarked she and Alex Sapp have known each other for a while, and that Alex Sapp is an artists of many talents: singing, composition, and flutist. Since Loggins-Hull is a flutist herself, a lot of virtuoso passages can be found in the piece. Joni indeed refers to Joni Mitchell, and, according to Loggins-Hull, Sapp's singing has some resemblance to hers. (By the way, Loggins-Hull is also NJ Symphony's Resident Artistic Partner.)
Oftentimes the description of the music (verbal or in print) is more interesting than the music itself. The first few minutes did capture my attention, but just when I began to think it may be too long, there was a nice change of pace. Indeed by mixing things up every now and then, the music continued to be interesting. I don't know what constitutes virtuoso flute playing, but could certainly appreciate that the pace, the interval jumps, the fast runs are difficult. One thing that was obvious was Sapp breathed noticeably harder than when she played the flute quartet - in that case it didn't even occur to me it would be an issue. For good measure a cadenza was included. I couldn't catch the Joni Mitchell theme, though; of course I know only a few songs sung/written by Mitchell.
After performing the Mozart flute quartet. The cellist is Eric Jacobsen, who would conduct the next two pieces. The violinist and violists are Colin Jacobsen and Nicolas Cards, if the order in the roster is any indication; they also soloed in the Sinfonia Concertante.
Conversation between Loggins-Hull and Jacobsen on her Fantasy on a Theme by Joni.
At the conclusion of the program.
The program ended at around 3:40 pm, which meant I could catch the 4:07 pm train back to South Amboy. The musicians seemed to be ready to do an encore, but I decided - given how the main program went - I wasn't going to stay and miss the train.
It was very cold for a few days. Today was a bit warmer - in the mid 40s. It was a pleasant afternoon to be out and about.
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