By  Lynn Green
For The Columbus Dispatch Sunday October 2, 2011 6:22 AM
published with permission

After a dreary start to October, many spirits brightened when Chamber Music Columbus presented the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble at the Southern Theatre last night.

The opening work, Joachim Raff’s Octet in C major, op. 176, took a few measures to get off the ground and a few thematic developments to settle into a solidified tempo. The musicians’ approach to the octet was sometimes vigorous, sometimes casual, but always fluid and sincere.

The Southern Theatre’s acoustics often amplified the violins and muffled the violas and cellos, but not to any great detriment. The almost-full house enthusiastically welcomed this and each of the ensemble’s subsequent selections.

The string sextet from Richard Strauss’s opera Capriccio was lush, with its richly woven texture foreshadowing the dialogues that occur later in the production. The Academy musicians are masters of leggiero, the lightness and phrasing that keep a richer piece like this from becoming overbearing.

Felix Mendelssohn’s Octet in E-flat major, op. 20 is frequently performed and, therefore, is easily recognizable. Instead of attacking the work and driving toward the finish as other ensembles sometimes do, the Academy ensemble brought a sense of proportion, always working with attention to the overarching phrase structure and architecture.

The closing Presto movement was the strongest moment of the evening, with stunning precision and musicality.
The ensemble’s encore, George Gershwin’s Summertime from Porgy and Bess, provided a tongue-in-cheek nod to yesterday’s cold, rainy weather. The masterful adaptation of Gershwin’s complex orchestration rendered the audience completely silent during its performance.

One of the advantages of hearing this ensemble live is the opportunity to experience a level of artistry that is not easily captured on recording. The group’s strength, in live performances, lies not only in the musicians’ mastery of the notes on the page, but also in their ability to adjust their timbres to properly fit each piece’s historical style. As the pieces progressed through the evening, coloration changed from the classical style’s clear and straightforward tone to the early 20th century’s deep, shaded sonorities.

That artistic prowess led many audience members to mention in passing that last night’s concert was among the best live music they had ever heard.