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UPPER LAKE – The Lake Wind Ensemble, consisting of Beth Aiken on oboe, Ann Hubbard on bassoon and Nick Biondo on clarinet, totally enthralled an appreciative soldout audience Friday, March 27, in the third of the 2009 Concerts with Conversation Series at the Tallman Hotel in Upper Lake.
All members of both the Lake and Mendocino County Symphonies, these are three of the most accomplished wind instrument players in Northern California. They presented a diverse program with verve and lively audience interaction.
After a wine and small plates reception in the Tallman parlor, the trio began the program with five short pieces by Jacques Ibert. This was followed by a "Pastoral" by Darius Milhaud, whose long compositional career included a stint at Mills College in Oakland, where he was fondly remembered by a member of the audience.
Aiken then performed a lovely solo piece by Benjamin Brittan and explained such technical details as how to clean an oboe and how the reeds of the various wind instruments are constructed.
A highlight of the evening was the “world premier” of a piece called “When Time Expands” by Ukiah composer David Smith, who spoke briefly about his composition. For this piece, Aiken switched to the English horn and Biondo to the bass clarinet, demonstrating the rich tones of these instruments in the lower octaves.
The evening concluded with a long, difficult, but beautifully performed “Trio” by French Composer George Auric – no relation to the vacuum cleaner Orrick, explained Aiken.
The perfect encore was a lively rendition of Scott Joplin’s “Solace” to a tango beat laid down by Hubbard on her bassoon.
The Tallman “Concerts with Conversation” series continues on April 24 when the globe-trotting “Queen of Boogie Woogie,” pianist and vocalist Wendy DeWitt, comes to Lake County. The series concludes on May 29 with the virtuoso finger-style guitarist Alex De Grassi.
Details can be found at www.tallmanhotel.com or by calling the hotel at 707-275-2244.
