Music / “Among the Birds and the Trees”, Musica Viva. At Llewellyn Hall, May 11. Reviewed by DANTE COSTA.

AS part of their Musica Viva national tour, flautist Adam Walker, violist Timothy Ridout and harpist Anneleen Lenaerts presented an imaginative and deeply evocative program of solo and chamber works at Llewellyn Hall.

The pieces allude to Debussy (who is rather considered to be a pioneer of the flute, viola, and harp combination) musing over the space he wished to go to after his death, inspired by a poem written by Paul Verlaine titled “Clair De Lune”.

Setting the mood with a solo work for each instrument, the first performer was Walker who performed Benjamin’s “Flight for solo flute”. The piece opens with a series of pitch bends that Walker played with uncompromising tonal colours and dynamic expression.

In the vivace sections, his articulation was sharp and had a delightful “popping” quality to the sound while his low notes filled the hall with ease. The fast, leaping passages were lithe and agile, leaving the audience in awe.

Next was Debussy’s “Jardins sous la pluie from Estampes L. 100”, which Lenaerts performed on solo harp. The flurry of notes flowed from her instrument with ease as her fingers danced their way through the strings. The phrasing was delicate and made for an interpretation that as graceful as it was exciting.

Ridout then took the spotlight to give a well-balanced and thoughtful rendition of Telemann’s “Fantasia No.7 in E-flat major, TWV 40:20”. His tone was warm and rich and gave attention to the contours of each phrase, elevating the various voicings that gave life to the contrapuntal textures.

Then the trio took the stage together to perform Gubaidulina’s “Garden of Joy and Sorrow”. The different textures were weaved effortlessly into one beautiful tapestry of sound. At times, one melody would die away as another seemingly appears from nothing, making it difficult to tell where each one began and stopped, although this suited the overall character of the piece. It was then contrasted with crisp harmonics in the viola and percussive strumming in the harp.

Following a brief interval, Walker and Lenaerts presented Messiaen’s “Le Merle noir.” Rhythmically complex bursts of energy were answered with birdcall-like trills in the flute that was a pleasure to listen to. It was exhilarating and brought with it the untamed wildness of nature.

Takemitsu’s “And then I knew ‘twas Wind” was performed with incredible intonation and sense of space. The trio captured and executed Takemitsu’s aesthetic with technical and musical ease.  The final two works of the program, Debussy’s “Clair de Lune” performed on solo harp and “Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp, L.137” made for an wonderfully mystical finale that was met with due applause.