Chamber music in Fresno charms with its intimacy

Adding to the variety is that you can't always pigeonhole chamber music by the group. Sure, Moment Musical -- an ensemble founded in 1989 by Janette Erickson, Rachel Aldrich, Linda Hamilton and Rea -- usually performs in church settings, with a philosophy that runs more toward what most would consider more "traditional" programming. But you might run into the comic stylings of a P.D.Q. Bach piece. Or encounter a truly distinctive instrument such an alphorn.

Orpheus, now in its 35th year, is unpredictable, too. Today it presents what's sure to be a rollicking concert titled "Americana Sampler" (5 p.m., Fresno State Concert Hall). Guests artists are Evo Bluestein and Bad Boys Zydeco, who will play such tunes as "The Bosco Stomp" and Bluestein's "Rather Be the Devil." The band will be followed by six members of Orpheus playing such works as Scott Joplin's "Ragtime Dance" and a challenging string quartet by Ruth Crawford Seeger.

Though the mission of Orpheus is what you might call "exploratory" -- artistic director Jack Fortner and general director Brad Hufft love presenting unusual and little-known works -- there are many selections considered more traditional as well.

One thing common to all chamber groups, it seems, is worrying about finding new audiences. There's no other way to say this: Chamber-music audiences in the Fresno area skew toward a preponderance of gray (or no) hair.

Last month, when I was talking with Elena Urioste, the 26-year-old violin soloist who enchanted Fresno Philharmonic audiences, I asked her about chamber music, which I'd read she loves playing. She noted that it isn't always an easy sell to her contemporaries. It's an acquired taste. There isn't a lot of spectacle. It takes a little while to sink in.

One thing happening in New York that really seems to connect with younger audiences is being creative in the choice of venues, Urioste told me. I completely agree. A few years ago while in the city I went to Le Poussin Rouge, a club that sponsors eclectic creative events, from hip hop and poetry readings to chamber music. You can order drinks while you sit at tables and listen to the entertainment. It's still a concert setting -- it's not as if the featured chamber group is a house band serving as background noise -- but it's more comfortable. (A beer and the Baroque can make a great combination.)

In a sense, Fortner observes, you can think of the "creative venue" trend in New York as chamber music going full circle. When European chamber music got its start, it was mostly performed in the homes of wealthy patrons. People would eat, drink, listen and talk -- turning the music into a social event.

Musica Viva, started 10 years ago by Dieter Wulfhorst and Susan Doering, hopes to broaden its audiences by encouraging families with children, even young ones. Informal clothing is encouraged. And Wulfhorst and Doering are big on counterprogramming. On Super Bowl Sunday, the group attracted an audience of nearly 100 people in Porterville -- with the concert starting at 3 p.m.

And actually, yes, I'm one of those who'd rather listen to 49 measures of Jacques Ibert than the 49ers, even on the biggest game day. For me, there's something intense and intimate about getting to sit so close to the players in a chamber concert. Better yet, there's an intimacy between the musicians that you don't find in a larger ensemble led by a conductor. I love watching the eye contact between a quartet, for example, right before it starts a piece -- all waiting for the slightest nod of a head, with that first note somehow beginning perfectly.

But more than that, I marvel at how the music squeezes out other stray thoughts. At the start of a concert, yes, I can sense the nagging intrusions of the real world -- what am I going to make for lunch tomorrow? -- but then I find myself immersed. It can be relaxing, yes, but also invigorating. And a grand way to listen to some grand musicians.

FRESNO CHAMBER MUSIC

Orpheus: Next concert is 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17, Fresno State Concert Hall. (559) 250-7653 or (559) 277-0596. $15, $5 students.

Moment Musical: Next concert is 3 p.m. April 7, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 50 E. Santa Ana Ave. (559) 432-2473. $10 single, $20 family of 3 or more.

Musica Viva: Next concert is 7 p.m. March 11, Concordia Lutheran Church, 1800 Sierra St. Kingsburg; and 7:30 p.m. March 12, First Congregational Church, 2131 N. Van Ness Blvd. (559) 392-1425. Free