The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center opened its season on Thursday night in an unusual way. They put on a program called “Sounds of the Season,” which was a Whitman’s Sampler of the months ahead. The program included no pieces to be performed later on; rather, it offered music related to those later pieces.

What I mean is this: In April, we are to hear a string sextet by Nicholas Maw. But in the opening concert, we heard a solo-violin piece by him.

That sort of thing.

There were a lot of musicians on the stage of Alice Tully Hall: 21 of them. And they played 11 different pieces by 10 different composers.

It all began with a concerto by Vivaldi, that in D major for flute, violin, bassoon, and continuo, nicknamed “La Pastorella.” This is not Vivaldi’s most distinguished piece, and it was not played in the most distinguished way. For example, the musicians were so out of tune at the end of the first movement, it hurt.

But the oboist, Stephen Taylor, sang capably in the second movement. And in the third, he piped merrily.

A pair of pianists — Anne-Marie McDermott and Wu Han — then played a four-hand piece by Mendelssohn (the “Allegro Brillante,” Op. 92). This performance had some spirit and acuteness. But some foot-stomping — by someone — was disgusting.

The evening continued with two of the songs by Brahms for contralto, viola, and piano. The Chamber Music Society brought us three admirable and proven musicians: the mezzo-soprano Jill Grove, the violist Paul Neubauer, and the pianist Gilbert Kalish. So the Brahms songs should have been good.

Perhaps they were under-rehearsed. The musicians never achieved a decent flow, and the listener could not lose himself in this transporting music. The second song, “Geistliches Wiegenlied,” was barely touched, its spirituality unexpressed.

First-class musicianship arrived with the clarinetist David Shifrin. With Anne-Marie McDermott, he played a staple of the repertory: Debussy’s “Première Rhapsodie.” You heard many of Mr. Shifrin’s assets: the sense of line; the variety of colors; the unshowy virtuosity. He brought out the character of the music, whether it was tense, jazzy, or debonair.

Really, this was a phenomenal display, and Debussy would have loved it. Also, Ms. McDermott elevated her game in this collaboration.

Some English music closed the first half of the program (in anticipation of a festival scheduled for February: “An English Musical Renaissance, 1900-1930”). We heard the “Cavatina and Bagatelle” for violin and piano by John Ireland; and “Madam Noy” for soprano and chamber ensemble by Arthur Bliss.

It was a pleasure — even bliss, you might say — to hear this neglected music.

The violinist Ani Kavafian and the pianist Charles Wadsworth played the first piece, with Mr. Wadsworth charming in the “Bagatelle” (particularly). And Amy Burton was the soprano in “Madam Noy.” She sang freshly, directly, and naturally — and her diction was commendable. She gives the impression of having been well trained.

The second half of the program began with three pieces by living composers: the aforementioned Mr. Maw, Bright Sheng, and Leon Kirchner. Mr. Kirchner’s piece was “Flutings for Paula,” scored for flute and percussion. Who’s Paula? The flutist Paula Robison, who was on hand to play the work, with the percussionist Ayano Kataoka.

But before anyone played, Ms. Robison announced that there was to be no applause, until the end of the three pieces. I found this incomprehensible. These are three separate pieces, having nothing to do with one another, by three different composers. And they were performed by four different musicians.

I thought that it was a bit of staginess, phony. Ah, well …

Mr. Sheng’s piece was “The Stream Flows,” a solo-viola work, which Paul Neubauer played with a compelling seamlessness. In Mr. Maw’s “Stanza,” Ani Kavafian was equally good. And both Ms. Robison and Ms. Kataoka clearly knew their way around the Kirchner piece.

The program ended with one of the best loved of all chamber pieces, Dvorák’s Quintet in E flat, written in Iowa, and nicely American. Our fivesome consisted of two veteran players — Mr. Neubauer and the cellist David Finckel — and three less seasoned players: the violinists Lily Francis and Erin Keefe, and the violist Beth Guterman. All of them, except the cellist, stood up, Emerson String Quartetstyle (and, of course, Mr. Finckel is a member of that ensemble).

They played Dvorák’s piece without much polish but with an essential happiness, one of the composer’s qualities, certainly here.

A final note: There was a lot of talking on this program — a whole lot of it — as we have come to expect during concerts. I fear that there will come a time when the music will stop altogether, and we’ll simply have two hours of talking. I blame Bernstein (who, alas, was very good at it).

But something super-charming was said by Mr. Wadsworth. He explained that he had been asked to speak for a minute and a half, only. He further explained that he had never been able to do anything for a minute and a half — except his daily exercise routine.