‘Subtle Connections Across the World’ @ Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth
Photo by Sally Verrando
—Rickey Wax
It was a perfect autumn Saturday in Fort Worth, clear skies and soft sunlight setting the tone for an afternoon of chamber music at the Modern Art Museum. The Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth (CMSFW) continued its “Subtle Connections Across the World” series with a program of Fauré, Saint-Saëns, and Dvořák. Under the direction of artistic leader Gary Levinson, the ensemble offered a performance grounded in precision, poise, and deep musical intelligence. A short pre-concert discussion provided background on the composers and deepened the audience’s engagement with the music that followed.
The concert opened with Fauré’s Piano Trio in D Minor, Op. 120. The musicians approached the score with restraint and clarity, honoring Fauré’s seamless harmonic shifts and elegant phrasing. Inbal Segev’s opening lines on cello were played with focus and a burnished tone that immediately set the atmosphere. Violinists Levinson and Matathias blended beautifully, creating a single melodic voice rather than two competing lines. Pianist Louis Lortie maintained a clear, flexible touch, keeping the balance intact. The group’s careful attention to dynamics lent shape and emotional depth to Fauré’s transparent textures.
Saint-Saëns’s Piano Trio No. 1 in F Major, Op. 18 followed with a burst of energy. The tempo was alert, the articulation crisp, and the rhythmic interplay tightly unified. The scherzo, quick and playful, displayed refined staccato bowing and moments of delicate plucking that gave lift to the texture. In the slower movement, the ensemble shifted to a long, legato line that emphasized Saint-Saëns’s lyrical grace. Lortie’s phrasing was meticulous, providing both rhythmic clarity and harmonic warmth.
After intermission came Dvořák’s Piano Quintet in A Major, Op. 81, the program’s emotional centerpiece and, for me, the highlight of the afternoon. Perhaps I am biased—Dvořák has long been one of my favorite composers—but this reading confirmed why his chamber music continues to move audiences. The Dumka movement was beautifully realized, its shifting moods handled with care and natural pacing. The ensemble navigated changes in tempo with ease, and their use of dynamic contrast was striking. Soft passages drew the listener inward, while climaxes carried full, resonant weight. The polka-inspired finale was vibrant, the ensemble tightly synchronized in both rhythm and phrasing.
Throughout the concert, what stood out most was the unity of interpretation. Each musician listened with intent, allowing space for others without sacrificing individuality. Lortie anchored the performances with precision and grace, his playing serving as both structural and expressive support. The balance among strings and piano was exemplary, and the ensemble’s control of phrasing and tone was consistent across every work.
This concert reminded listeners why chamber music remains such a vital art form. It requires both mastery and humility, and the CMSFW demonstrated both in equal measure—five artists thinking as one, shaping sound with shared purpose.
WHEN: November 8, 2025
WHERE: The Modern, 3200 Darnell Street, Fort Worth
WEB: cmsfw.org
