Robert Henry Trio in Concert in Jasper on November 7, 2011. Photo Courtesy Sara Baurmann
If you were one of the record crowd at the Casual Classics Concert last Monday Night in Jasper then this is old news; if you were not, then you missed a great evening. After the audience of around 200 settled in to their seats at the New Lebanon Presbyterian Church, (on Bent Tree Drive just outside Jasper) the Concert Master and President of Jasper Muse, Inc., Suzanne Shull, welcomed everyone and set the stage. The first selection was Beethoven’s 12 Variations on a Theme by Handel and as an introduction, Charae Kreuger, Cello, asked the very pertinent question: “What does a genius do for fun?” The answer, obviously, is that he writes 12 delicious variations on a single theme. The music was enchanting and the performance pristine.
For the second selection Fia Durrett joined the group and Dr. Henry introduced Mendelssohn’s Trio No 1 in D Minor, Opus 49. The piece is delectably challenging and the Trio was up to the challenge. Every heart pounding climax brought the audience to the edge of their seats and every quiet nuance was lovingly presented. The audience was enraptured, not a stir or cough was heard until the final note and the audience erupted into applause that continued after the Trio left the stage, walked out through the hall and was well on their way to the dressing room.
After a brief intermission, Fia Durrett, Violin, introduced the evening’s final selection Dvořák’s Piano Trio No 4 in E Minor (“Dumky”) The 6 sections are essentially short Slavic ballads (dumka) and each could stand alone; however they are musically intertwined and clearly of Slavic origin. Collectively they were like a melancholy litany handled lightly. Oh so Dvořák and oh so beautifully played by the trio.
It was an amazing concert – crisply and professionally delivered by the widely acclaimed artists and warmly received by its North Georgia audience. If you missed it, we’ll hope to see you at the next concert, which will be the Franklin Pond String Quartet along with a Guest Soloist presented on February 7, 2012. Go ahead and mark your calendar now!
See ya ’round the mountains,
Don
