This concert was typical of how the ACS can bring together some of the finest players in the area for music making of the highest level. Most, though, not all of the musicians Sunday at the St. Paul Lutheran Church are members of either the New Mexico or Santa Fe Symphonies, but all are distinguished soloists.

The program opened with the Prelude to the opera Capriccio by Richard Strauss. This was no arrangement, mind you, but the actual scoring of the work, a string sextet being a rather novel opening for an opera. I've always considered it the outstanding bit of a work less than Strauss' best. The two violins (David Felberg and Krszysztof Zimowski), two violas (Marcio Rodrigues and Philip Coonce and two cellos (Dana Winograd and Felix Wuman wove and wound about each other in mellifluent and nearly unbroken lyricism, much as the composer has them do in his longer work, Metamorphosis.

The "night music" portion of the program came in two works that could not be more dissimilar in character. Takemitsu's Toward the Sea for alto flute and guitar qualifies as night music in that the opening movement is called The Night, and the work in general is a quiet nocturnal reverie, despite its fairly spicy harmonies. Valerie Potter on her alto flute made generous use of the lowest and most sensuous register of the instrument, accompanied by Jeremy Mayne's guitar, together demonstrating a sensitivity of touch and breath.

In the realm of "something for everything" the first half concluded with Mozart's Eine Klein Nachtmusik (A Little Night Music) known to virtually everyone. In fact the work has almost become a cliché of itself, the opening bars heard on television in nearly every possible context. But it becomes cliché only when played as cliché. This group, playing the piece in arrangement for string quartet, did just the opposite. They brought to it all the respect and attention to detail as they would to Mozart's more serious quartets. Hence, this was a performance sparkling with freshness and sincerity.

In the spirit of true egalitarianism, the second violin, viola and cello players in the Strauss, now became the first part players in Tchaikowsky's "Souvenir de Florence." This was the composer's last chamber work and he was insistent that it be a true sextet, not merely a tune arranged for six instruments. Indeed, everyone has a part of interest and importance and all six players worked together with a collective inspiration. The four-movement piece came off brilliantly, the Adagio truly gorgeous with its soft but rapid section of triplets a model of precision playing, and the Finale a ravishing climax. Here was well-matched group of six playing for the sheer joy of producing great music. No higher praise can be given.

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