L-R: Guang Wang, Zhenwei Shi, Elizabeth Pridgen, David Coucheron, Lauren Roth, Julie Coucheron, Zachery Boeding, Andrew Burhans, Cameron Bonner, and Jesse McCandless. (credit: Jake Daron)

Georgian Chamber Players warm Atlanta’s winter with Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms

CONCERT REVIEW:
Georgian Chamber Players
January 26, 2025
Trinity Presbyterian Church
Atlanta, Georgia – USA
Zachery Boeding, oboe; Jesse McCandless, clarinet; Cameron Bonner, bassoon; Andrew Burhans, French horn; David Coucheron, violin; Lauren Roth, violin; Zhenwei Shi, viola; Guang Wang, cello; Julie Coucheron, piano; Elizabeth Pridgen, piano.
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART: Mozart’s Quintet in E♭ major for Piano and Winds, K. 452
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN: Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 4 in A minor, Op. 23
Johannes BRAHMS: Piano Quartet in G minor, Op. 25

William Ford | 28 JAN 2025

Atlanta may be known as “Hotlanta” in the summer, but mid-winter often brings cold, gray days. In fact, gray seems to be Atlanta’s default winter color. So, what’s a good way to cope with this dreary weather?

I think I’ve found one: attend a Georgian Chamber Players (GCP) concert at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood. Founded in 1949, the church sits on a sprawling campus with a series of connected buildings. The main sanctuary, a colonial-style structure, features classic columns, a brick façade, and a symmetrical design—an embodiment of timeless elegance. Inside, the abundance of white paint contrasts with the gray walls and blue carpeting of the ancillary spaces. The church is scrupulously maintained and beautiful, but for music lovers, its standout feature is the sanctuary’s remarkable acoustics. Warm and luxuriously reverberant, the space more than compensates for the chilly weather outside.

The Georgian Chamber Players consistently deliver first-rate performances, and this concert was no exception. With a program featuring works by Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms—three towering figures in Western classical music—the audience was treated to a journey through some of the finest examples of chamber music. Each piece explored innovative combinations of instrumental textures and showcased the evolving expressiveness of chamber ensembles during their respective eras.


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The concert opened with Mozart’s Quintet in E♭ major for Piano and Winds, K. 452, performed by Zachery Boeding (oboe), Jesse McCandless (clarinet), Cameron Bonner (bassoon), Andrew Burhans (French horn), and Julie Coucheron (piano). Ms. Coucheron, a fixture in Atlanta’s music scene, is renowned for her technical brilliance, musicality, and commanding presence at the keyboard. In the sanctuary’s vibrant acoustics, the other musicians matched her power effortlessly.

This quintet, composed in 1784, was groundbreaking for its unusual combination of instruments, which Mozart blended into a cohesive and harmonious whole. In this performance, the oboe and clarinet achieved an astonishingly smooth blend, and Mr. Burhans navigated the notoriously challenging horn part with impeccable precision. Even at its stormiest moments, the piece’s classical elegance evoked images of powdered wigs and grand ballrooms—a sharp contrast to the intensity of the next work on the program.


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Beethoven’s Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 4 in A minor, Op. 23, marked a departure from Mozart’s refinement. Composed in 1801, the sonata treats the violin and piano as equal partners, engaging in a lively dialogue where themes are introduced by one instrument, repeated by the other, and then developed with Beethoven’s characteristic inventiveness.

The sonata’s opening “Presto” is charged with tension and urgency, the middle “Andante scherzoso, più allegretto” provides a playful respite, and the final “Allegro molto” bursts with fiery energy. Here, Ms. Coucheron was joined by Lauren Roth, the recently appointed Assistant Concertmaster of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Roth’s performance was precise, controlled, and dynamic, shifting seamlessly between explosive passages and lyrical moments. She and Ms. Coucheron shared a clear, unified vision of the work, delivering a performance that was nothing short of stellar.


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The program concluded with Brahms’ Piano Quartet in G minor, Op. 25, a masterpiece of Romantic chamber music. Brahms’ use of classical forms to express deep emotion and longing is on full display here. The quartet begins with a dramatic first movement, followed by a playful second movement and a warm, lyrical third. The final Rondo alla Zingarese bursts with Hungarian and gypsy-inspired themes, full of rhythmic vitality and virtuosic flair.

The quartet’s poignant passages invite introspection, evoking thoughts of lost loves and life’s regrets—or perhaps that’s just me. The performers—David Coucheron (violin), Zhenwei Shi (viola), Guang Wang (cello), and the great Elizabeth Pridgen (piano)—played with passion and precision, fully embracing the music’s emotional depth and dramatic intensity.

This concert was a reminder of the transformative power of well-played chamber music, especially in an acoustically brilliant space like Trinity’s sanctuary. It was a true gift, no matter the weather outside.

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About the author:
William Ford is an avid classical music fan and a clinical psychologist based in Atlanta. His reviews and interviews can most frequently be found online at Bachtrack and www.atlantamusiccritic.com

Read more by William Ford.
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