You Can Count on Mimi

Mimi Stillman: Rosenwald Gallery, Van Pelt-Dietrich Library, Jan. 24

by Peter Burwasser

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Published: Jan 30, 2007

This is the Dolce Suono Chamber Music Series' second season at Penn, and with nary an empty seat to be had at the latest presentation, these concerts' appeal is self-evident. The project was initiated for and is centered around the work of flutist Mimi Stillman, an artist of exceptional charm. (This is not to take anything away from her musicianship; she is an excellent player, but bubbly charisma is certainly a big part of the Mimi Stillman experience.)

It helped that this particular concert's venue was the intimate, acoustically warm rare-books library at Van Pelt-Dietrich: Although the repertoire ranged from the English Renaissance to music of the 20th century, the presentation had the ambience of a coffeehouse happening, its music alternating between jazzy and folksy vibes. In the Handel Sonata in F for Flute and Continuo, the substitution of guitar and acoustic bass for the traditional harpsichord as continuo greatly abetted this sense of calm. Emilio Gravagno, a Philadelphia Orchestra bassist, plucked away with the suave, motoric grace of a jazz session man; a measured range of tempos — not too fast in the allegros, not too slow in the larghetto — expressed an ever-conversational flow. A trio for flute, viola and guitar by Joseph Kreutzer, a Beethoven contemporary, was mainly distinguished by novel textures created by its unusual instrumentation. The material itself is well wrought, but essentially derivative.

A group of English Renaissance songs — three by John Dowland and one by Robert Johnson — represented the folk portion of the program. In each, the sung parts were replaced by solo flute. Stillman read some of the poetry to the audience to set the tone — bawdy, in some cases — and then proceeded to produce an ebullient, sensual sound on her flute. In this material, she differentiated between the more metronomic quality of the Handel and the casual, almost rustic feel in these song transcriptions. Her sound was echoed by the relaxed graciousness of Allen Krantz's guitar. Krantz came to the fore performing his own arrangements of Piazzolla tangos, in which his delightfully simpatico partnership with Stillman gave the music a palpable charm.

The highlight of the evening was a rare performance of the Concertino for Flute (Piccolo), Viola and Double Bass by Czech composer Erwin Schulhoff, a Jew who was murdered by Germans in 1942, depriving the world of his brash and brilliant voice. Schulhoff was, academically, rooted firmly in the grand Viennese tradition, but he was also enamored of jazz and Czech folk music infused with the giddy spirit of Dadaism. It is a funky, wonderful stew, and this ensemble — joined by Burchard Tang's elegant viola contribution — brought the notes to life with rock-solid chops and affecting conviction.

(p_burwasser@citypaper.net)

Mimi Stillman

Rosenwald Gallery, Van Pelt-Dietrich Library, Jan. 24

 

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