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CONTEMPORARY MUSIC REVIEW
20th Century Music of Five Countries
August 27, 2001
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By Jules Langert
Monday night's program of twentieth century chamber music in the Presidio Chapel introduced me to a new and attractive concert venue in San Francisco. Easily accessible from Arguello Boulevard and provided with a sizable parking lot, the small, resonant Chapel, seating probably fewer than a hundred people, lent body and intimacy to a pleasing assortment of music for strings and winds. The talented local musicians were gathered by bassist Richard Worn to form a group billed as the Worn Chamber Ensemble.
Flutist Stacey Pelinka tastefully began and ended the concert with two solos: Debussy's Syrinx and Varèse's Density 21.5. In between, the Duo for Violin and Viola by Nikos Skalkottas (1938) received the most striking performance. Influenced by Schoenbergian serialism, its clean-lined directness and classically oriented three-movement form proved lustrous and captivating. Skalkottas' idiomatic string writing included some colorful, pungent textures,
brought out to advantage in a beautiful, dynamic performance by violinist Michael Yokus and violist Darcy Rindt.
Two works by German composer Hans Warner Henze were also among the program's highlights. Capriccio (1981) for solo cello, was a complex, episodic piece, masterfully exploring the instrument's lyrical, dramatic, and coloristic capabilities with great flair. Vanessa Ruotilo's spirited performance, though, occasionally ragged, gave an arresting account of it.
Henze's Quattro Fantasie (1958-63) for string quintet, horn, bassoon, and clarinet was the evening's most ample work. Often during its four movements, the strings and winds were treated as two separate groups, creating the effect of a small chamber orchestra. A lyrical romanticism overlay the serially tinged score, distinctively blending traditional modern features, This performance, however, would have benefited from a conductor's leadership. Simply staying together and getting through the composition seemed to be an important part of the ensemble's goal. The confidence, sweep, instrumental balance, and interpretive richness needed for a convincing realization were not sufficiently in place. The result was somewhat tentative and less effective than it could have been. Alfred Schnittke's Hymn II (1974-9) for cello and bass was highly original and evocative in combining a sustained, chorale-like opening with the mysterious, thrumming pizzicato section which followed. Franco Donatoni's Lem for solo string bass was an experimental. and fragmentary composition in two movements, focused almost exclusively on details of color, texture, and register. In spite of Richard Worn's careful, dedicated playing, the piece seemed pointless and overlong. It was the only unsuccessful offering on an otherwise stimulating, engrossing concert. (Jules Langert is a composer and teacher who resides in the East Bay.) ©2001 Jules Langert, all rights reserved |