
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, March 19, 1990                   TAG: 9003192487
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: E6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: SETH WILLIAMSON SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

SOLOS HIGHLIGHT CHAMBER CONCERT

Victoria Bond conducted the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra in the last of this season's chamber series concerts Sunday afternoon at Cave Spring High School. As in previous years, half of this concert was devoted to solo works featuring members of the RSO's core string ensemble. The same program was presented the previous night at Franklin County High School in Rocky Mount, where a symphony official estimated 700 concertgoers attended.

The first half of this concert featured various RSO first-desk soloists, and whether by chance or design they were presented in descending order of pitch.

Violinist Jane Wang began the program with the first movement of the Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64, of Felix Mendelssohn. Wang is a solid player who was alive to the tremendous lyric possibilities of this piece. She has never been less than a good violinist, but her playing has improved noticeably over the past year.

Next was violist Adam Crane, who performed the Viola Concerto No. 1, Op. 1, of Karl Stamitz. Crane played with an ample tone and enough projection to overcome the perennial problem of making the viola heard over the orchestra. This musician probably has more stage presence than any of the RSO core players, but the effect is diminished somewhat by his habit of tapping his foot as he plays, at times quite loudly. He restrained his toes long enough to deliver a beautiful first-movement cadenza, however, that was possibly the finest moment of the afternoon.

Crane was followed by his wife and principal cellist Mary Hege Crane, who performed the Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 33, of Camille Saint-Saens. She thrilled concertgoers last year with a gorgeous version of the Faure "Elegie," and demonstrated Sunday that her lovely dark tone is intact.

The orchestra is a bigger partner in this concerto than in many others, and the chamber version of the RSO played with a fine ensemble. But Crane played with perhaps less passion than this work of high Romanticism deserved, and her orchestral partners were not overly involved themselves.

The audience was deprived of what promised to be the most interesting work of the afternoon by an injury. Principal doublebassist William Johnston was to have performed the Doublebass Concerto in F-sharp minor by Serge Koussevitsky, but the artist was sidelined by a sore bow arm which may keep him from playing for several more weeks.

The second half of Sunday's concert was devoted to the Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major of Franz Schubert, a work which was perfectly suited to the smaller resources of the chamber-sized RSO. This symphony begins with one of Schubert's happiest melodies, and the entire work radiates a kind of deep joy and serene optimism, even during the poignant second movement. Victoria Bond's interpretation was clear and absolutely un-idiosyncratic, permitting Schubert's deep happiness to communicate itself with no ambiguities.

by CNB