September 7–14, 2000

critic pick|classical

Wild Ginger

The Wild Ginger Philharmonic Chamber Players are coming to town to play Mendelssohn and Mozart. While that simple statement may not set the pulse a-racing, the actual music-making of this band should. They have been called "the future of classical music," and if performing these pieces in t-shirts and baseball caps seems like a gimmick, the utterly unique musical approach of the ensemble, founded in 1997 and led by recent Juilliard grad David Goodman, puts it all in context. The Wild Ginger Philharmonic have virtually unlimited rehearsal time, essentially unheard of elsewhere, including week-long retreats to learn not just the scores, but how to project the music as a single voice. As the spirit moves them, the musicians might get up and walk into the audience while playing, or sing along with the music. Many grin broadly while playing, because they are having so much fun.

The music on the program is core repertoire material, but filled with the kind of truly exotic beauty that might benefit fabulously from the Wild Ginger approach. Mozart demonstrated a supreme mastery for wind timbre balancing in his sublime Serenade for Winds in C minor, and Mendelssohn produced what is arguably the greatest music ever written by a teenager (yes, including Mozart) in his ever astonishing Octet for Strings. This should be a good one, rock and roll fans.

—Peter Burwasser

Wild Ginger Philharmonic Chamber Players, Sat., Sept. 9, 8 p.m., Trinity Center for Urban Life, 22nd and Spruce Sts; Sun., Sept. 10, Elkins Park, 888-444-0353.