JAVS Fall 1993

57

It probably would not be effective in perfor mance as a substitute for an orchestra. The Concerto itself is a large, virtuoso, eloquent vehicle, well suited to the concert hall, if you have a sophisticated audience. The viola writing makes use of "extended techniques," but reasonable ones for the most part. There is a lot of left-hand pizzicato and jete, and a fresh trick involving a normal note glissando terminating in a distant harmonic. The cliche of many "as fast as possible" notes in ascending strange patterns of leaps and steps, (like quasi arpeggios of fourths or fifths with an occasional half-step), terminating in a long note or silence, is present, but this seems inevitable in much recent viola music. The composer states in the score that the single movement work is in seven sections,

alternating between viola sections and orchestral. These are hard to find. There are eleven double bars, counting the last one, and if change of texture indicates a new section, there could well be ten sections. There is a possibility of influence from WOzzeck toward the end, where an orches trated crescendo occurs on a single tone, and later a rhythmic ostinato, reminiscent of the very close of the opera, (where the child sings "hop-hop"), is a main feature ofwhat appears to be a coda. This probably is just coinci dence due to style, but it's present. At any rate, the Druckman Concerto is an exciting, interesting, at times expressive, and demand ing work, which certainly deserves a piano reduction. Our thanks to Boosey & Hawkes.

8 ~ ~ .. : - . -= ~

- Thomas G. Hall

Chapman University

THOMASTIK DOMINANT THE NEW STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE HEN great artists like Pinchas Zukerman, Itzhak Perlman and " the Fine Arts Quartet choose their strings, they choose the best. That's why they use 'Dominant' strings for violin, viola, and cello. They have a rich powerful tone, unmatched response and they stay in tune unlike old-fashioned gut strings. They last far longer and are the closest thing to a perfect string ever made. -----------------:;#?----------------- Now available in Full, 3/4, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 and 1/16 sizes. Sold in Better Music Stores For further information or the name of your nearest dealer contact the exclusive U.S. Importer JOHN M. CONNOLLY & CO., INC. ~O. BOX 93 • NORTHPORT, NEW YORK 11768