Music Reviews

Jul 15, 2005 - The Argenta Trio and Friends summer concerts open at Nightingale Concert Hall

By Jack Neal

"Welcome to our secret concert. Thank you for being here." The greeting from oboist Andrea Lenz Tuesday (7/12/05) at Nightingale Concert Hall was a not so subtle reminder that the powers that be at Artown did not include the Argenta Trio's concerts in any of Artown's publicity.

What a shame!

The Argenta Trio's summer concerts are the oldest series of continuous summer chamber music concerts in Nevada. They outdate the ten years Artown has been in existence by at least two decades. That the original two players - cellist John Lenz and pianist James Winn - who founded the series, are still an integral part of the concerts is one reason why they continue to be so superb.

Add the brilliance of violinist Phillip Ruder to the brilliance of Mr. Winn and Mr. Lenz and the chamber music played by the Argenta Trio thrills and enlightens every time they play. Being the University of Nevada, Reno's resident trio is one of the advantages of these Argenta events. The men are generous at adding their many friends in music from the university community, which gives an almost infinite variety to these programs.

William Grant Stills's "Miniatures for Flute, Oboe and Piano" opened the program. Andrea Lenz, flutist Mary Miller and James Winn imbued these five short and charming pieces with whimsy, wit and nostalgia for delightful, very sensitive performances.

Violist Igor Veligan and violinist Ruth Lenz joined Mr. Lenz and Mr. Ruder for an exciting and moving presentation of Shostakovich's resilient and eccentrically (in the most inventive sense) composed String Quartet No. 3 in F Major. At once powerful and delicately intricate the Shostakovich was as memorable for its depth as for its technical dazzle.

The rapture and lyricism of the Brahms Trio in C Major was given its full measure by the Argenta. The cohesiveness of the ensemble, without the pressure of performance tours that can be a plague on freshness, opens the windows of Argenta performances to a freshness of interpretation that is the hallmark of all this superb trio plays.

For information about future Argenta Trio events and concerts call 775-784-4444.