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

DATE: MONDAY, April 30, 1990                   TAG: 9004300055
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: E6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: SETH WILLIAMSON SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

MUSICAL CONTRASTS MARK END OF SERIES

The Audubon Quartet wound up the Fine Arts Series at Greene Memorial United Methodist Church Sunday afternoon with a glimpse at three contrasting worlds of chamber music. First was the sunny classicism of Mozart's "Hunt" Quartet in B-flat, K. 458. Then came the pagan primitivism of Bartok's Quartet No. 3, and finally the heart-on-the-sleeve emotionalism of Schumann's "Clara" Quartet, the Quartet in A major, Op. 41, No. 3.

The "Hunt" Quartet of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is so called because of the open intervals of fifths and thirds heard in the first movement, and which recalled to Mozart's original upper-class audiences' horn calls and riding to hounds. The final movement as well has an outdoorsy feeling to it which could suggest a fox hunt to hearers.

The Audubons had this and the final selection already worked up as part of their ongoing Mozart/Schumann series in Blacksburg, and their playing showed it. As paradoxical as it may sound to non-musicians, the more familiar good musicians are with great music, the more spontaneous and off-the-cuff it can sound. This was the attraction of the Audubon's Mozart Sunday afternoon, which had a liveliness and newness about it which made it fun to hear.

Especially beautiful was the third movement adagio. Audubon violist Doris Lederer said in an interview that the quartet was careful to remember that Mozart, though a classicist, had feelings, and this movement played by itself might almost pass as a Schumann romanza.

Violinist David Salness issued a kind of surgeon general's warning prior to Bela Bartok's difficult Quartet No. 3, remarking that "sometimes we're disappointed that people don't share our enthusiasm for these quartets," which may seem "a bit strident to the ears."

But Bartok is not really very revolutionary any more, and the Greene Memorial audience seemed to enjoy this piece as much as the more accessible Mozart. Many commentators have remarked that this was the first quartet in which the composer fully discovered his own personal voice, and the Audubons were content to let Bartok be Bartok.

It was a beautiful performance of strong music, with its folk rhythms and primitive-sounding modal writing.

Last came the "Clara" quartet of Robert Schumann, which was a birthday present from the composer to his wife. The full-fledged romanticism and orchestral writing of this piece was as big a change from the Bartok as Bartok was from Mozart. At times the Audubon Quartet sounded almost like a small orchestra, and violinist David Ehrlich in particular played beautifully.

Greene Memorial music director Richard Cummins announced next year's fine arts series at this concert, which will include organist Joan Lippincott, pianist Nelson Padgett, the cello quartet Cello, a performance of Mozart's Mass in C Minor, K. 427, and a visit from London's Westminster Cathedral Choir.

by CNB