INTERMEZZO CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES, Vieve Gore Concert Hall, June 30

The Intermezzo Chamber Music Series opened its 13th season Monday with an effusively romantic program. Works by Josef Suk, Robert Schumann and Antonin Dvorák were played with passion, feeling and wonderfully crafted expressions by Utah Symphony members Lun Jiang, violin; David Porter, violin and viola; and Pegsoon Whang, cello. Joining them was guest pianist Hyunsoon Whang, substituting for the originally scheduled Heather Conner.

The concert opened with Suk’s Piano Trio in C minor. Suk’s music has been woefully neglected, although he is a first rate composer and craftsman, as this early work quitter clearly shows. It’s a delightfully lyrical work, yet also at times dramatic and quite striking. And Jiang, Pegsoon Whang and Hyunsoon Whang infused their playing with fluid expressiveness and passionate vigor that captured the romantic power of the work remarkably well.

The trio was paired with Schumann’s late Violin Sonata in A minor, op. 105, played by Porter and Hyunsoon Whang. Much darker than most of his late works, the sonata makes a powerful statement with its restless energy and driven romanticism.

The two gave a moving account of the sonata that underscored the earnestness of the music while incorporating finely crafted lyricism and expressiveness into their reading.

Rounding out the program was a forceful performance of Dvorák’s Piano Quartet in E flat major, op. 87.

With Porter on viola, the four players gave a vibrant reading that captured the emotional depth and power of the work. They delved into the score and created a nuanced, sensitive interpretation that was filled with finely honed expressions and subtle inflections. Everything was in balance, and nothing was overstated. This was a wonderful example of how Dvorák’s music ought to be played.