12—The Daily Collegian Monday Oct. 13, 1980
For a change, a classics-only performance
By PADDY PATTON
bay Collegian Staff Writer
The Pittsburgh Chamber Orchestra, as conducted by
Syzmon Goldberg, apparently does not know that
every respectable concert should include at least one
horrendously unlistenable contemporary work. For its
ignorance, the Chamber Orchestra will have my undy
ing gratitude
: The audience at Saturday night's performance in
lisenhower Auditorium seemed to share my apprecia
kion for a program of three classical symphonies:
Mozart's Symphony No. 90 in G minor, K. 550;
Beethoven's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, N 0.2 ih
B-flat major, op. 19; and Schubert's Symphony No. 3
• To start a program with a piece as well known as
Mozart's No. 90 takes a certain amount of courage.
There is always the possibility that because people
ecbgnize a work, they will think they know it as well as
the performers do. These front-row conductors take of
tense at tempos varying from "what's on the record"
and derive sadistic pleasure from picking out what
Chey, in their vast wisdom, know are sour notes.
Fortunately, the Chamber Orchestra need have no
fear of budget classic critics. The Molto allegro open
ing movement sounded. fresh, for all it is so familiar.
The sadness lacing it was not less intense for being
handled with a clear and energetic string attack, not
less warm for being performed with close attention to
timbral contrasts. In fact, this kind of care in the per
formance of well-known works argues for their more
Sometime
By TOM BOYER
Daily Collegian Staff Writer
In a concert in which the high points
were very high and .the low points very
low, the Pittsburgh Symphony . Chamber
Orchestra, with Szymon Goldberg as
violin soloist and conductor, played with
inconsistent sparkle Friday night in-
Eisenhower Auditorium.
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The program, sPonsore(lby the Artists
Series, included two Beethoven
Romances and a Schubert Rondo for
violin and Orchestra, Stravinsky's Con
certo in D for String Orchestra, and
Haydn's Symphony 104, "The London."
Goldberg, who has been performing
for the better part of the century, showed
his audience both fruits of advancing
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frequent programming. When an audience can hear tional repose to what is always in danger of being the
new aspects of a familiar work in a live performance, boring part of a concerto.
the musicians are doing their jobs well. High spirits bubbled forth in the last movement, Ron-
The second movement, Andante, was performed do: molto allegro. Adjectives abound: merry, jocose,
with propriety: proper restraint, proper refinement, ebullient, teasing, mischievious, light-hearted. . .if it's
proper conservation of forces for most effective use at fun, then it describes how Bloch and the Chamber Or
points of contrast. I found it pleasingly listenable, im- chestra wound up the concerto.
bued with the moderation and seemly conduct ex- The last work on the program, the Schubert No. 3
pected of a classical slow movement. came as a bit of a let-down. A self-satisfied, confec-
But the third movement, Allegretto, was more than tionary elegance coupled with Schubert's
just listenable. Goldberg took a bustling tempo and characteristic lyricism made for pleasant but unspec
proved that classical works can convey righteous in- tacular music.
dignation as emphatically romantic or contemporary The first movement, Adagio maestoso—allegro con
pieces. Similarly, in the finale, Allegro assai, the brio, alternated between sunny, jaunty traveling
Chamber Orchestra clipped right along with a furious melodies and more stern, striding themes. The
activity, driving to as exciting a close as any struggle. Chamber Orchestra did justice to the music, exercis
with fate ever had. ing care with its execution; but 'this work lacked the
The evening really only began as the' Mozart ended. substance of the other two.
When pianist Boris Bloch came on stage' for the The second movement, Allegretto, continued in this
Beethoven concerto, sparks truly started to fly. While complacent, sanguine mood, but the third, Menuetto:
the music inclined to more shifts of mood than did the vivace, offered brisker fare. Warming to the chase, the
first piece, it was still classical in nature. Bloch Chamber Orchestra played the finale, Presto vivace,
demonstrated a wonderful ability to dramatize without as a headlong dash to the finish. (The Orchestra won.)
distorting, to play the demanding passage work clean- Though the Schubert was not the most thrilling work
ly, with an unselfconscious musicality. ever performed, Goldberg and the Chamber Orchestra
Though he tossed off the opening Allegro con brio are to be commended for their ability to meet classical
with delightful dexterity, Bloch's real talent music on its own terms: to perform it with technical
manifested itself even further in the second movement, command, artistic sensitivity and emotional subtlety
Adagio. Herein, his ability to enjoy and lavish care on and without token contemporary works on the same
long• musical thoughts brought tranquility and emo- program.
sparkle from Pghlll Chamber Orchestra
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age; musical maturity and dulled
technique.
The Beethoven Romances began the
program. They are short and simple,
containing none of the sense of tragedy
permeating Beethoven's later work. At
the beginning of both romances, the
violin states the theme modest, noble
melodies accompanied unobtrusively
(listlessly, in this case) by the orchestra.
Goldberg's face, made longer by his
huge forehead and near-baldness, was
placid as he played, his eyes closed as if
he were dreaming to the phrases.
However, his playing was stiff at times,
the tone pinched and uneven, especially
near the beginning of the concert.
For the Stravinsky work, the players
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gritted their teeth dug into the music
with greater intensity.
The Concerto is filled with jagged
rhythms and unsettling harmonies, not
entirely pleasing to the ear but intrigu
ing nonetheless. In the first movement,
the violins and violas played with verve
an irregular, cynical-sounding melody to
a rumbling accompaniment in, the
basses and celli. •
The second movement, a breezy,
waltzing piece not unlike a German
landler, is pretty in a bittersweet way.
The violins played a legato passage very
smoothly and calmly, pushed along by
pizzicato in the lower strings.
During the Haydn symphony both
Goldberg and the orchestra were at their
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best. The players seemed to enjoy
themselves, playing energetically and
even cracking a smile or two.
While Haydn symphonies are not
technically difficult to play, they require
much care of the orchestra not to sound
muddy. Haydn's harmonies and or
chestration, unlike the fuller, more
dense work of later composers, are
dangerous because the audience hears
every rhythmic discrepency.
Goldberg seemed to have, if not warm
contact with the players, at least com
plete control over them, for the sound as
a whole was well-balanced and disciplin
ed. The orchestra's attacks were precise
like breaking celery in the way
every conductor strives for precision;
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winds never overpowering the strings.
The third movement, a Menuet, was
most fun for both players and audience
alike. Here Haydn's sense of humor
shows through, the orchestra making the
most of the opportunity to joke. One
could easily picture lords and ladies ,of
some centuries ago waking up from their
banquet to dance.
Goldberg's interpretation was expan-4
sive, making the group seem more like a
large symphony than the parlor-sized
group Haydn wrote for. But the sound
was never heavy enough to be bogged
ddwn, nor would the liberties Goldberg
took with the music have disturbed
Haydn's stiff upper lip.
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cross
1 Hearts or darts
5 Disdain
10 Nation in the news:
1979.1980
14 Black •
15 Asian capital
16 Crooner Perry
17 Sleep like
18 Accompanying
19 Do journalist's work
20 Make a second hole
22 Rock salt
24 Half of blackjack
25 Fraxinella plant ,
27 Sifter
30 Profession in "The Sting"
31 Heavily guarded
36 Here, in Hyeres
More aoorooriate
WITI
1 Bike part
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4 Use an acid, perhaps
5 Slate source
6 Beckon
7 Lennon's spouse
8 Nessen or Guidry
9 Dream, of a sort
10 Keflavik's country
11 Sculptor of "Le Penseur
12 Friendliness
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21 Champagne bucket
23 - impasse: stymied
25 No and 1.0.
26 Printing workers
27 Diamonds, e.g.
28 Exactly 2.54 centimeters
29 Entertainer Adams
38 Frost the cake
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etc.
48 Harbor boat
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62 Weave
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30 "Eggbeater"
32 One not in the clergy
33 Matt Bahr's specialty
34 "- homo": behold man
35 About thirty million seconds
40 One language of 10 Across
41 Fencer's sword
42 Kind of moon or movie
43 Aerie inhabitants
46 Amerind craft
47 Llama's home •
48 Prime number
49 Muggy
50 Apparatuses
51 Scariett's horng
52 Level
53 Clarinetiars:need
56 Gold, to Coronado
57 Saloon
The Daily Collegian Monday Oct. 13, 1980-1
CICSSICCIFI
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