A concert at Lindenwood Christian Church might not suggest an intimate event, what with its high ceiling and an imposing array of organ pipes overlooking the sanctuary.
It can, however, seem downright cozy compared to a performance at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, where the Memphis Symphony Orchestra has its Masterworks series.
But Friday night's chamber concert at Lindenwood was a thoroughly sociable affair with guest conductor Ken-David Masur skillfully leading the MSO through especially lovely works by Bach, Schnittke and Mozart.
The Paul and Linnea Bert Classic Accents Series is a deliberate mix of the traditional and the informal. The players, attired in their formal wear, perform the classics, but rather than an intermission, the musicians break to mingle with the audience.
If the event is fairly casual, the performances were disciplined and delightful. Masur's precise manner brought forth splendid sounds from the orchestra.
Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 3 opened the concert, a work that includes one of the composer's best known pieces. The second movement — "Air" — is tinged with sadness but is irresistibly lovely, and the entire composition was beautifully played.
Russian composer Alfred Schnittke's winsome "Suite in the Old Style" is based on his film scores. The five movements are deliciously affecting and romantic while maintaining an appealing sophistication, delivered smartly by the MSO.
The final piece of the evening was Mozart's Symphony No. 39, dramatic, folksy and witty.
This was one of the MSO's most agreeable performances, sounding good in the Lindenwood sanctuary and all the sections hitting sweet spots throughout the evening.
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