Chicago Symphony Winds - splendidly serene

There must have been something in the wind. The winds section of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra gave a pleasant matinee to a modestly large crowd Sunday at Finney Chapel. The talented octet played programmed works by Beethoven and Mozart, with an encore by Grieg.

Though the near two-hour concert was both splendid in performance and repertoire, there was no particular aspect of the concert which stood out amidst the whole. Not to say that it wasn't an excellent show; it was. In its entirety, each piece's music wafted pleasantly in the warm afternoon cross-breeze that found its way through Finney's upper windows. The melodies were those of Mozart's two serenades and an octet by Beethoven.

The opener, Mozart's Serenade No. 12 in C Minor, K.338, immediately perked up the audience's ears, inviting them to enrich the perfection of the performers' allegro, led by clarinetists Larry Combs and John Bruce Yeh. For the most part, however, the eight men performed in concertante style; each part collaborated with the others for a full, rich sound, but small solos were kept briefly here and there, as well.

Considering the prestige and reputation of the Chicago Symphony Winds, it's no wonder that the group put on such an excellent set. In fact, the Winds received a Grammy Award nomination for their 1987 album Mozart: Music for Basset Horns. In the 10 years since, the winds have obviously maintained their reputation as a fine group of musicians.

This talent was perhaps at its peak after Sunday's program was over; that is, the Winds' most enchanting number was their encore, a transcription of one of the Folk Lyric Pieces by Grieg. Though brief and simple, the encore was just light enough to delight the Finney audience and satisfy their request for an extended program. And even following the Grieg piece, the Winds were embraced with two curtain calls.

With Sunday's pleasant springtime breeze and a program suited perfectly for the season, the Chicago Winds couldn't have given a better concert.