JAVS Spring 2014

Kashkashian was undoubtedly the highlight of the congress, playing selections from György Kurtág’s Signs, Games and Messages , a composition that was a component of the recording that earned her a Grammy Award early last year. Kashkashian was also the recipient of the IVS’s annual Silver Viola Clef, given for outstanding contributions to the viola. In presenting her with the 2013 Silver Alto Clef, IVS President Carlos María Solare noted that Kashkashian was first and foremost a musician, who happened to have the viola as her “vessel of expres sion.” This was a most apt description for a recital that showcased Kashkashian not simply as a violist, but as a performer, capturing nuances both in sound as well as in gestures. This was particularly evident in Kurtág’s varied silences: some with resistance, oth ers with freedom; ones that looked ahead, and others that looked behind—all of these included some degree of visual communication in live performance. Above all, this consummate artiste displayed what can only be called a commanding presence on stage, with every moment a meaningful part of the per formance—every rest, every preparation, and of course, each sound spanning an incredible spectrum of timbres. The appearance of Emile Cantor, whom many remembered from the 39th congress in Germany, continued the theme of “connections.” Cantor was in a session shared with Jutta Puchhammer-Sédillot, and both violists and their pianists were roundly applauded. Solare performed an arrangement of another Britten work, the Sarabande of his Simple

Symphony . This was an arrangement by Franz Zeyringer—the first recipient of the Gold Alto Clef—making connections not only to the compos er, but to a former IVS president. Two notable performances were of string duos. Seven Paganini caprices were arranged and per formed by Elias Goldstein, the second-prize winner at the 2011 Primrose International Viola Competition, with Sally Chisholm on second viola. Goldstein displayed remarkable virtuosity, while Chisholm produced from her instrument some of the most beautiful, richest tone colors at the con gress. While they were both clearly first-rate cham ber musicians, the stark contrast in timbres seemed at times a complication—an admittedly subjective evaluation, with a possible bias from typically hear ing these works on a single instrument. The second

duo performance was that of violist Krzysztof Tymendorf with violinist Arnaud Kaminski, whose performance styles were seamless, with physical movements that were uncannily symmetrical. If at times the balance was slightly toward the impressive ly resonant viola, the congress’s audience of viola enthusiasts did not seem to mind. Several performances also linked the congress to the world beyond classical music, with a session on improvisation by Paweł Odorowicz, which included connections to visual art, and the Quartet Klezmer Trio led by Magdalena Brudzińska, which brought From left to right: violinist Arnaud Kaminski and violist Krzysztof Tymendorf

Kim Kashkashian

J OURNAL OF THE AMERICAN VIOLA SOCIETy 12