Smithsonian Chamber Orchestra

Charles T. Downey, Smithsonian Chamber Orchestra at Renwick Gallery
Washington Post, March 5, 2013

Stravinsky, Dumbarton Oaks Concerto (inter alia), Ensemble Intercontemporain, P. Boulez

Three pieces of music composed in the years around World War II can reveal not only the range of emotions inspired by world events, but also the ferment of musical styles in that era. This was the goal of an excellent program offered by the Smithsonian Chamber Orchestra on Sunday night, in the Grand Salon of the Renwick Gallery, executed thoughtfully and with admirable precision.

Stravinsky’s Orchestral Concerto in E-flat came to be known by the name of the house where it was premiered, Dumbarton Oaks in Georgetown, in 1938. The first movement bubbled along, the players adroitly avoiding the many possible pitfalls of shifting meter, the poky second movement animated by jabs of melody punctuated by bassoon bleats, jazzy bass syncopations and a chatty flute solo. [Continue reading]

Smithsonian Chamber Orchestra
Music by Stravinsky, Copland, Shostakovich
Renwick Gallery