There is something to be said about musical maturity and the way that a lifetime of experience deepens one’s perceptions and expressions. Arturo Delmoni, Patricia McCarty, Julia Lichten, and David Geber are four superb musicians of a “certain age” who have lived and loved abundantly, who have worked very hard for many years, basked in glories, suffered losses, and endured the mundane. They bring it all to their music, and that is what made their Hill and Hollow Music performance so rich and profoundly satisfying, the glow of which was burnished by their warm friendship and mutual respect.
This is not an ensemble of musicians who play together regularly, but rather four friends who came together expressly for a special occasion. They drew a large crowd who demonstrated lavish appreciation after each work. The first half of the program was Beethoven’s String Trio in G major, Op. 9, No. 1 and Jean Francaix’s String Trio in C major. Opening the second half was the North American premiere of Seven into Eight by the British composer John Hawkins. Finally we heard Anton Arensky’s monumental String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 3 – probably the most significant work written for the uncustomary ensemble of a single violin, viola and two celli.
