JAVS Spring 2014

foot (with the left almost suspended from the floor) in order to create better balance between the left and right arms. Both Kosmala and Darzins used the sim ple act of walking to demonstrate aspects of tech nique, with the latter demonstrating that the “figure of eight” transition of up and down bows is as much lateral as it is vertical.

two years prior. The work had what seems to be Pigovat’s signature sense of expanse, with both Maurice and pianist Wioletta Fluda demonstrating the widest range of textures, from moments of tran quillity to arresting rhythmic unisons. Emile Cantor’s transcriptions of Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet were particularly appealing. These were the result of study of the composer’s own piano arrange ment of selections alongside the original orchestral score—and, for one movement, the arrangement of Vadim Borisovsky.

Pierre-Henri Xuereb (center) with master class participants Oskar Foremuy and Anna Krzyżak

IV. Composition

Emile Cantor

During her recital, Kim Kashkashian made observa tions about the connection between a composer and a performer, bringing us to the final thread of “con nections” that ran through the congress. There was a transcription of Chopin’s Cello Sonata, op. 65, per formed by Leszek Brodowski with Krzysztof Stanienda, thus including the composer that contin ues to be considered one of Poland’s greatest musical treasures. Max Savikangas included one of his com positions, which used extended techniques that explored the furthest reaches of the instrument’s capabilities, including extreme bow pressure, circular bowing, and even a surprising moment of falsetto singing from the performer. There were several pre mieres, including viola duos by Henryk Górecki and Jerzy Kornowicz. The premiere of Boris Pigovat’s Viola Sonata, concurrent with the launch of the work’s recording, provided another connection to the 39th congress, as the work was written for and per formed by Donald Maurice as a form of thanks from the composer for taking on Requiem “The Holocaust”

There was perhaps no clearer indication of the value of violists collaborating in some way or form with composers than Kashkashian’s efforts with Kurtág. She began by narrating the connection of performer and composer; her initial meeting with Kurtág was expected to be brief, and four hours later they had only covered the first two lines. This attention to detail was clear in her performance of the work, with an unparalleled range of timbral colors. This brings us full circle to performance—an excellent fit for the yearly event that celebrates not only the viola and violists, but the many connections that draw them all together.

Concluding Comments

Similar to reflections on the 2010 Cincinnati con gress, there were certain scheduling issues, with per formance segments running up to forty-five minutes

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