Chamber music at Chatham

[Original is at the Pittsburgh Symphony Blogs]
Yeeha Chiu, Piano
*Dennis O'Boyle, Violin
*Michael Lipman, Cello
Daphne Alderson, Contralto
*Paul Silver, Viola
*Laura Motchalov, Violin
Pauline Rovkah, Piano

* PSO Musician

When I lived in Shadyside, one of the benefits of living there was the close proximity of Chatham College for chamber concerts and talks. Smaller then Pitt and CMU, it made for a more intimate setting. In particular, I like chamber music there. I like the interplay between the players that you don't get as much in a symphony, and everytime I go to Chatham, I engage in conversation with others in the audience during intermission and afterwards.

Last Sunday, several members of the PSO along with notable local pianists and a contralto, had a chamber concert as part of Chatham's Chamber Music series. Among the seven artists, there were five distinct groupings with music by Haydn, Brahms and Schumann.

Why do I enjoy chamber music? It is the interaction between the players. There is the stimulation of trying to follow the motif passed among the parts And in the larger groupings, hearing the various parts weave amongst each other. In Haydn Trio in C Major for Violin, Cello and Piano (Hob XV No. 21) it is between the piano and the strings. For Schumann Piano Quintet in E flat major, Op. 44, at times four distinct lines are weaving in and out of each other simultaneously, in addition to each of the five parts taking their turns with the motif in different styles.

And in the end, as we broke for the reception, Pauline (Director, Piano program Chatham) made a special announcement. It was her father-in-law's birthday! And 200+ music lovers sang Happy Birthday along with Piano and Violin. A picture of a community enjoying each other.