2012 conventions 2012 election 2013 session arts arts and culture author ballot measures basketball bomb books boy scouts budget bullying business charlie hales children clackamas climate change coal college courts crime culture culture club democrats drugs economy education environment family film fluoride food gay rights guns handguns health health care health insurance high school history housing immigration internet kitzhaber law legislature lgbt literary arts living marijuana marriage media medicine mental health military minor parties mohamed mohamud movies music native americans news newspaper obama olympics oregon our town parenting pers photography police politcs politics port portland portland business journal president prevention public safety religion republicans rnc romney rural salem sam adams sandy hook schools science shooting sports suicide supreme court taxes technology television terrorism theater third parties transportation union university of oregon washington wildfire women

First let me say that I am a great supporter of professional musicians and for many years was on the board of the Oregon Mozart Players, a fine professional chamber orchestra in Eugene. I thoroughly enjoy first-class chamber orchestra and woodwind chamber music concerts. (For some reason, I always nod off at string quartets, no matter who is playing.)

Now let me put in a plug for us amateurs. One of the special joys of chamber music is that it's not that hard to put together a small group of players of comparable abilities and get enormous joy out of playing accessible music. A lot of the chamber repertoire from the 18th and 19th centuries was meant to be played in intimate settings, so it's naturally suited to playing for fun (which doesn't mean not working hard) and for small audiences of friends and relatives. Much of the 20th century stuff, even if intended for the concert hall, also works in small venues.

Eugene is fortunate to have a city-supported series of free public concerts every Saturday afternoon, with performers including some of the best local amateurs. In the past year or so I've had the pleasure of playing some pretty serious woodwind quintet music in those concerts as well as performing an almost world premiere with The Uncalled Four bassoon quartet. Sure we're not perfect, but we and the audiences have fun with live "classical" music in an informal setting. Kids are welcome if they can sit still.

And of course there are dozens of amateur gigs here every year in places such as retirement centers, museum receptions, parties and the like.

Let's not automatically think of the value of chamber music as only related to professional performances.

posted 2 years, 10 months ago
view in context