JAVS Fall 1993

49

ABOUT VIOLISTS

During spring and summer of 1993, violists have appeared in unusual nUITLbers as soloists or featured participants in chamber music in the Los Angeles area. Chamber music in Los Angeles is health)', but violists have enjoyed a particularly high profile at the following concerts. On March 31, under the auspices of the Chamber Music in Historic Sites series, Musicians from Marlboro presented violists Daniel Foster and Carla-Maria Rodrigues in the seldom-heard Quintet in E-flat, opus 97 by Dvorak. They were joined by violinists Zhen-Rong Wang (from Beijing), Isidore Cohen (from the Beaux Arts Trio), and cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras. The site was the Crystal Ballroom of the Biltmore Hotel. Also appearing on that concert was Ignat Solzhenitsyn, pianist, who is the son of Aleksandr. On Monday evening, April 12, Donald McInnes with the help of Brooks Smith, distinguished and ageless pianist, presented a full viola recital at U.S.C. Considering the threat of rain, and the possible eruption of civil unrest near the campus, it is a tribute to Professor McInnes's reputation that a large and enthusiastic audience congregated, including middle-fiddlers Janet Lakatos, Carrie Holzman Little, Simon Oswell (and bride), Myron Sandler, Linn Subotnick, Milton Thomas, Dan Thomason, and Ray Tischer. Doubtless there were other violists present, but the attendance of these well known personalities assured a memorable gathering. The program included Beethoven's Seven Variations on the duet "Bei Mannern, welche Liebe fiihlen" from The Magic Flute, WoO 46. This is originally for cello and piano, but it makes a fine, cheerful overture. During the Finale of Hindemith's 1939 Sonata the A-string popped---quite dra matically. Bach's G-major Solo Cello Suite was done with all repeats, no improvised

ornaments, and elicited great appreciation from the audience. It was generally fast and very dancy. Two encores followed the Enesco Concertpiece. The whole evening was a rewarding display of the two artists. Donald McInnes has not played in public a great deal since moving to Los Angeles, and it is hoped his schedule will allow him greater visability. He helps enrich the community with his high performance standard On May 5, David Shifrin, clarinet, Margot Garrett, piano, and Paul Neubauer, former principal violist of the New York Philharmonic, gave a concert at the L. A. County Museum ofArt, with an engaging program: Mozart's KegelstattTrio, at the beginning, and, at the end, Schumann's Miirchenerziihlungen (Fairy Tales), opus 132, also for clarinet, viola, and piano. The middle of the program offered the Arpeggione Sonata by Schubert and Debussy's Premiere Rhapsody. The Los Angeles Times reviewer called the Schubert, played on the viola, "a novelty," and identified the trio as "East Coast," which probably is where it's based, but Paul Neubauer is surely a West Coast product. On May 14, Cynthia Kemp£: viola, and Ernest Salem, violin, played the Mozart Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat K. 364 at California State University, Fullerton. The following Sunday, Karen Lak played the Telemann Concerto in G Major with the Orchestra at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa. Also, on May 16, the Angeles Quartet played a program at Caltech in Pasadena under the auspices ofThe Coleman Con certs, which included Beethoven's Serenade, opus 25, for flute, violin, and viola. Flutist Carol Wincenc joined Kathleen Lenski and violist Brian Dembow. The Serenade is a considerable technical challenge, and rarely performed-perhaps because it follows after the lighter muse. Dembow was critically praised for "sheer virtuosity."