nashmand

Issue #44

Last Update March 2, 2006

Arts The Nashville Mandolin Ensemble by Gert Innsry The most important thing for any musical group to learn is to do what they're good at and ignore the rest. The Nashville Mandolin Ensemble, which performed at Chautauqua's amphitheater, has to learn this, though even with their imperfections they pleased their audience. A group of mainly classical string musicians from Nashville, the Ensemble has been performing for thirteen years. Their repertoire was originally limited to classical music, but they have since added the Beatles, bluegrass, Celtic, swing and blues.

Tuned like members of the violin family, the mandolin corresponds to the violin, the mandola to the viola, and the mandocello to the cello. In theory (and sometimes in practice), two mandolins, a mandola and a mandocello could work its way through the string quartet repertoire quite comfortably. With the addition of string bass (a regular bass, not a bass mandolin) and guitar, and an occasional trade of fiddle for second mandolin, the group is able to present a more varied selection of styles. The six musicians opened with some turn of the century (19^th to 20^th) parlor pieces that were popular with home players and mandolin groups. Pleasant but unexciting, these numbers at least got the audience used to the unusual instrumentation.

Two Bach cantatas and an Italian baroque mandolin trio rescored for the group were perfect; the classically trained musicians were in their element, especially for the Italian piece, which sparkled. The Baroque style is congenial to the performers and the music is congenial to the instruments. The audience gave the piece a roar of approval.

The next section of the concert was devoted to the Beatles, and here the Ensemble came a cropper. The medley of Beatles songs, played off the page as classically trained musicians are often tempted to do, had the unpleasant feel of the New York Philharmonic trying to play jazz: every note is there, but the music has rigor mortis.Swing and blues were more successful, but not especially great.

The group came alive again with bluegrass. This is music they all understand, they are steeped in it in Nashville, and they performed these numbers with vigor and feeling. The audience loved it, and the group did another bluegrass number as an encore, to the cheers of the crowd.

The Ensemble, Butch Baldassari – mandolin, Steve Dudash – mandolin and violin,Walter Carter – mandola, John Hedgecoth – mandocello, Gene Ford – guitar, and David Spicher – bass, are talented musicians who bring a sense of fun to their work. They are very, very good at the things they are good at. They should drop the rest and concentrate on perfection.