Another concert in the chamber music series. Today’s ensemble consisted of a flute, a violin and a viola.

Hopscotch for solo flute by Anna Clyne (modern) was technically impressive but emotionally not interesting.

Capricci for violin and viola by Bjarne Brustad (1930s) was too modern for me. Too jarring and not enough harmony and melody. Although the fragments where the violin took on a folk music tone were interesting.

Rumi Settings for violin and viola by Augusta Read Thomas (modern) was even more modern and didn’t sound at all like anything I would associate with Rumi, although it was described as being directly inspired by one of Rumi’s poems.

Serenade in D Major for flute, violin and viola by Ludwig van Beethoven was charming and more relaxed and approachable than most of Beethoven. Although I guess I’m more familiar with his symphonies than his chamber music. The booklet accompanying the concert explains that Beethoven’s chamber music was probably not written to be performed in a concert hall, but for private performances, either at musical salons or simply by amateur musicians. If I was filthy rich, I’d totally pay for people to play Beethoven’s chamber music for me in my living room.

Trio for flute, violin and viola by Endre Szervánsky (1950s) was likewise charming. Fluttery, light and airy, with the instruments’ melodies often very close to each other, almost melting into one voice. (Unlike string quartets.) The piece made me think of birds and fairies and flowering glades in dappled sunlight. Somehow it felt like film music, like something that could have been in an early Disney movie or “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” or some other romantic, pastoral fantasy.

All the composers were presented with a picture in the booklet, except Beethoven, oddly enough.