Word: bartok
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...performs Bartok, Brahms and Beethoven...
...already over-subscribed audience, it was clear that Saturday night's concert at Sanders Theatre was more an "event" than a chamber music concert. This atmosphere was only reinforced by the nature of the programming. The violinist Stephanie Chase was slated to play in each work, first Bartok's First Sonata for Violin and Piano, then the Brahms Horn Trio, and finally the Beethoven Septet. While programming for a single performer might be acceptable even in a chamber music concert, the flagrant insertion of Bartok's Sonata into a menu of otherwise standard (and somewhat related) fare, seemed justified only...
...Bartok's First Violin Sonata, while heavily influenced by the atonality of Schoenberg, abounds with injunctions of "espressivo" and "appasionato". A listener not aware of this might have thought from Chase's performance that Bartok, desiring some special effect, had ordered the violinist to play dispassionately, and vibrato only selectively if at all. While the first movement is supposed to be tense in character, the rigidity manifest in Chase did not seem quite appropriate. Her sound was frequently forced, and what at first seemed like a special effect--the fact that her vibrato began only after half of each note...
Photo Courtesy BCSM one of the few displays of ecstatic ensemblewithin the context of the Bartok. The thirdmovement, marked "Allegro" and abounding withvehement and syncopated rhythms, concealed for themost part Chase's difficulties; while hertechnique was not impeccable, it certainly farsurpassed her vibrato. In this section, though theperformers were always "with" each other, one didnot receive the impression of collaboration whichhad appeared briefly in the second movement andwhich graces the best chamber music performances.On the whole, Chase's rendition of the Sonata wascompetent but uninspired; she did not seem toderive any personal significance from the work orendow it with...
Boston Symphony Orchestra. Perform Bartok's Piano Concerto No. 3 and Mahler's Symphony No. 4 on Wednesday, Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. Symphony Hall, 301 Mass Ave., Boston. Call 2661492 for more information...