Sprin
. g Fhn g

Ann Arbor's Springfest '97 celebrates the music of Brahms,
Vienna and Eastern Europe.

SUZANNE CHESSLER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

S

ongs from Jewish Folk Po-
etry by Shostakovich are
among the featured works
in "SpringFest '97: Brahms,
Vienna and Eastern Europe," the
May 10-17 music series present-
ed by Chamber Music Ann Arbor
(CMAA). .
Performances will be divided
between the University of Michi-
gan Museum of Art (May 10, 11,
16 and 17) and the Kerrytown
Concert House (May 13
and 14).
Many of the
Shostakovich selections,
composed in 1948, con-
vey the sorrowful emo-
tions remaining after
the Holocaust and con-
trast with lighter East-
ern European melodies
that comprise the rest of
the programs.
"Johannes Brahms
died 100 years ago after
living most of his adult
life in Vienna," said
Michael Webster,
CMAA music director.
"He introduced Bach
and Handel to the Vien-
nese public, espoused
the musical forms of
Haydn and Mozart and
took the Bohemian com-
poser Anton Dvorak un-
der his wing.
"Our six concerts cel-
ebrate this German-

born composer, his predecessors, and 14 concerts.
Israeli-born violist Yizhak
his peers and his followers. There
are 11 songs in the Shostakovich Schotten; Who teaches at the Uni-
portion, and they are written and versity of Michigan and has per-
sung in German." Among the po- formed in prestigious concert halls
ems set to music to communicate around the world, is one of the fea-
the Jewish experience in Europe tured performers. Another per-
during the 1940s are "A Lament former is violinist Jennifer Ross,
for a Child's Death" and `The Con- a regular visiting faculty member
cerned Mother to the Aunt." at the university and symphony
Brahms' "Liebeslieder Waltzes" instrumentalist.
"Most of our performers are
offer a contrast during the May 13
from Ann Ar-
bor," explained
Webster, a clar-
cc in e tist, conduc-
tor, composer
- and arranger
who was princi-
pal clarinetist
with the
Rochester Phil-
harmonic and
has appeared as
soloist with
many orches-
tras.
"Among the
exceptions is
the Leontovych
String Quartet,
a group that
immigrated to
the United
States from the
former Soviet
Union."
CMAA was
founded more
than a year ago
to promote high
quality cham-
ber music with
an emphasis on making the
form accessible to young fam-
ilies and children. Just before
"SpringFest '97," CMAA mu-
Above: Yizhak
sicians will be taking pro-
Schotten: The
grams to area schools to
Israeli-born
entertain and educate the
violist and U-M
students.
professor is a
"Our school programs in-
featured
clude informal talks inter-
performer at
spersed among musical
Springiest '97.
examples," Webster said. "An
Left: Visiting
appreciation for chamber
faculty member music has to be acquired just
and violinist
as an appreciation for Shake-
Jennifer Ross
speare has to be acquired. A
will also
certain amount of education
perform.
is necessary for that." 111

"SpnngFest '97" perfor-
mances are at 8 p.m. May
10, 13, 14, 16 and 17 and 4
p.m. . May 11. The May 13
and 14 concerts will be per-
formed in Kertytown, while
the others will'be at the mu-
seum.. For information, call
(313) 930-1960.

Find out in this weeks
JN Entertainment section.

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