Wednesday, December 3, 2008

It's not surprising that the woodwind quintet Circa 1800 is still in a shakedown period. The five local musicians, all experienced players of 18th- and early-19th-century replica instruments -- and devotees of the music of that time -- have been playing together for only a little over a year. Also, each of their instruments (unlike strings that share naturally blending sound from the get-go) has a very different personality.

But still, the uneven quality of their performances in the Grand Tier III space of the George Mason Center for the Arts on Monday left me wondering how closely they are listening to each other.

There were delightful moments in this program of lighthearted and unpretentious works by composers who were beloved in their day, but who have largely faded from the musical scene. The dancelike finale of a quintet by Franz Danzi sparkled. Flutist Colin St. Martin reeled off the highly ornamental "Variations on Rossini's 'Una voce poco fa' " by Louis Drouet with easy-sounding agility. A quintet by Giuseppe Cambini -- musically, the program's most sophisticated piece -- featured a trill that Paul Hopkins, playing on a valveless "natural" French horn, accomplished with astonishing virtuosity.

Much of the rest, however, needed a good bit of ensemble work. On their own, oboist Meg Owens and clarinetist Richard Spece were nimble and accurate, but they didn't always mirror each other or the flute convincingly. And throughout, bassoonist Anna Marsh struggled with the busy bass lines.

-- Joan Reinthaler