Voce Del Vento Chamber Players at Lakeport Jan. 11

WINDS WARM LAKEPORT CHAMBER CONCERT

The cold winter weather, so common to Lake County in January, gave way to warm winds Jan.11 as the La Voce Del Vento Chamber Players presented their first concert of 2015 with guest pianist Aaron Ames. Formed in 1982 by bassoonist Ann Hubbard, La Voce Del Vento (The Voice of the Wind) introduced Lake County concertgoers to chamber music in charming and novel forms.

Performed on Del Vento’s home stage in Lakeport’s Soper Reese Community Theater, Ms. Hubbard greeted the audience in an elegant outfit and the hall’s the floor was decorated with tables, black cloths and candles. The atmosphere had the perfect effect of drawing the audience into the intimate conversation of chamber music.

The pianist began with three Mendelssohn "Songs Without Words," each deftly shaped crisp and never mushy. he then joined a wind group for Mozart's E-Flat Major Quintet, K. 452. The ensemble included
Beth Aiken (oboe), Nick Biondo (Clarinet), Ms. Hubbard and hornist Randy Masselink. Mr.Ames' playing provided structure and voice leading. I found myself transported to a dark spring evening, filled with the sounds of nature and a quiet colloquy between the instruments.

Following a short intermission the Quintet returned and began Beethoven’s E-Flat Major Quintet for Piano and Winds, Op. 16. The contrapuntal lines were clear I could hear a delightful conversation between the five instruments. I found that the early Beethoven was harmonically conservative but complex. The performance made me wish I could play one of the instruments and join in the music

I learned from Ms. Hubbard's artistry that the bassoon was more than the voice of peter’s grandfather in Prokofiev’s youth story music "Peter and the Wolf," Op. 36. There are subtle nuisances and those not so subtle.

Coming Del Vento concerts include one February 15 for bassoon concerto with strings, a world premiere concerto by Jeff Ives featuring Ms.Hubbard, and music by Beethoven and Berwald. The March 1 event will have works by Nielsen, Hindemith, Milhaud and Persichetti, with flutist Patricia Jekel joining Ms. Aiken Mr. Biondo, Ms. Hubbard and Mr. Masselink. The final concert of the series April 12 will have music for harpsichord and winds, ancient and modern, including Telemann. Harpsichordist Tom Aiken and violinist Jeff Ives will perform with a wind trio.

All Del Vento concerts in Soper Reese concerts are on Sunday afternoons at 3. Information on the events is at www.soperreesetheatere.com and at (707) 263-0577.