San Francisco Classical Voice

When he wrote this piece, Prokofiev's process was as practical as it was creative: he had made the acquaintance of a group of five musicians who had been playing for a circus, and he decided to write a ballet depicting circus acts, for the very instruments these musicians played. Unfortunately, the ballet, which was deemed undanceable in large part due to its pitiful choreography, failed almost immediately. Happily, the score survives as Prokofiev's Opus 39, dating from 1924-25.

In its angular and dissonant character, the six-movement Quintet is reminiscent of Prokofiev's Sarcasms for piano, his Scythian Suite and the Second Symphony. The work displays strong influences of Prokofiev's Russian homeland, and especially of the music of his compatriot, Igor Stravinsky. There are moments in the Quintet when one is reminded of Stravinsky's L'Histoire du Soldat and of his monumental ballet The Rite of Spring.

As untraditional as the scoring of two wind instruments and three strings may be, Prokofiev pulls it off miraculously well. He makes wide-ranging use of the instruments' capabilities, including abundant glissandi and muted pizzicato in the strings.

Equally enthusiastically presented by the Music in the Vineyards cast of performers was Grant Beglarian's Of Fables, Foibles and Fancies, four pieces for cellist and narrator. Beglarian, who wrote the piece for a colleague's cello student, combines witty and amusing texts with complimentary music for the cello. Adams, who served as narrator, was joined by cellist Katja Linfield. Beglarian's writing for the cello is highly idiomatic but by no means easy, and Linfield met the composer's requests for unorthodox runs, glissandi and harmonics with aplomb. She proved the perfect foil for Adams's excellent reading of the texts, and their teamwork was exemplary.

Adams, who, with his wife Daria, co-directs the Music in the Vineyards series of which this concert was a part, served as the concert's host. His introductory remarks should serve as models for the genre. Today's performers feel increasingly free to speak directly to their audiences (an unheard-of faux pas to generations past), but the resulting comments can be all over the map. Adams's introductions were interesting, entertaining, well-researched and, above all, just the right length.

After intermission, Linfield , Copes and Adams were joined by violist Masumi Per Rostad, cellist Brandon Varnos and violinists Sibbi Bernhardsson, Daria Adams and Simin Ganatra for a rousing performance of the Mendelssohn Octet. Ganatra and Copes had opened the program with a warm and cohesive performance of Leclair's fifth sonata for two violins (often reminiscent of Telemann's two-recorder sonatas in its two-part writing). In the Mendelssohn, she served as first violinist.

The Octet, written by Mendelssohn at the age of 16, is a demonstration of drop-dead brilliant composing. As Mr. Adams duly noted in his introductory remarks, it is not only a great piece written by someone aged 16, but a great piece written by a person of any age. The Octet is a showcase for everything we love about Mendelssohn: endlessly melodious, always interesting, often light and charming, yet not without depth. Nor is it without its musical challenges. The mere fact that eight people are playing together without a conductor is challenge enough, and Mendelssohn throws the players many curve balls in his typical fashion, with plenty of fast-running sixteenth notes and off-the-beat entrances. Although there were tiny moments here or there when the group's ensemble playing was less than perfect, the overall performance was stunning. Ganatra's sweet tone integrated itself easily and naturally and she proved a creditable, if at times perhaps needlessly histrionic, leader. The group played with careful attention to the details and phrasing, and loads of color and passion.