Wind quintets have always had a rough time competing with the stars of classical chamber music. While Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven wrote a surplus for string quintets, wind instruments have much less repertoire to choose from.
Despite the challenges, the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra Wind Quintet has assembled a concert of dazzling tone and colour. Warm Winds launches the St. Albert Chamber Music Society’s 14th season on Saturday, Oct. 14 at St. Albert United Church.
At the heart of the wind quintet are five of the ESO’s female principal players: Elizabeth Koch (flute), June Kim (Oboe), Julianne Scott (clarinet), Bianca Chambul (bassoon) and Eileen Hackleman (horn).
“The theme for this concert is re-immersing ourselves in warm places and hot temperatures before winter comes. There’s one composition, American composer Samuel Barber’s Summer Music, that does that,” said Scott, the ensemble’s spokesperson.
“It’s a staple of the woodwind quintet repertoire. It’s challenging and Barber uses a lot of colour. Just the way he blends instruments is sultry and evocative,” she added.
Award-winning Cuban composer Paquito D’Rivera’s Aires Tropicales, the quintet pulls together Latin dance rhythms and jazz influences.
“This is the most fun piece. We are doing five movements. Each movement is a different dance.”
The ensemble’s third choice is Amy Beach’s Pastorale. The American composer was fond of nature and often walked in parks and woodlands. This is her ode to the natural world.
“It’s a big contrast to the other works. It’s more like a chorale. It’s not showy. It’s a beautiful melody, the type of music that you would reflect on during a warm, sunny day.”
The closing composition is August Klughardt’s Quintet for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon.
“He was a romantic composer, and it was written towards the end of his life," Scott said. "It’s standard quintet music in a classical form. It’s the most classical piece of the program, but the way he writes it brings out the different instruments. Each one has a lot of merit.”
The quintet formed in 2020 just prior to the COVID shutdown.
“When COVID restrictions allowed us to play outdoors, that’s when we started. We came up with a program and played intimate concerts.”
The musicians’ chemistry is a driving force within the quintet.
“We mainly play in the orchestra. But playing in a quintet is like a breath of fresh air. We enjoy it and it’s pretty easy. All our personalities blend well together.”
Scott describes Koch as the “rock of the group. She never makes mistakes.” On the other hand, "Kim is the newest face, bringing a genuine vibe. Bianca is lots of fun. She’s quirky and makes so many puns. And Allene is an amazing horn player. She’s very kind, very musical and very solid.”
“It’s about wanting to play music, and it’s rewarding and pleasurable to play music for people that may not necessarily have been exposed to it before.”
Opening the concert is emerging trumpeter Aishlinn Burndred, 12, a 2023 St. Albert Rotary Music Festival scholarship recipient.
The concert starts at 7:30 p.m., 20 Green Grove Dr. Single tickets are $15 to $35 and all-season subscriptions are $60 to $140. They are available at Musée Heritage Museum or at eventbrite.ca.
