The Michigan Daily-Saturday May 27, 1978-Page 7
Brahms chamber music splendid
By KERRY THOMPSON
Anyone who has performed one or more of Brahms'
intricatechamber works realizes how tremendously
difficult it is to perform them 'cleanly. The Inter-
national String Quartet, with David Shifrin, clarinet,
and William Doppman, piano, accomplished this task
with style Thursday night in the Brahms Festival at
the Michigan Union's Pendleton Room, the second part
of the Chamber Celebration.
Chamber Music Celebration
The International String Quartet
The Pendleton Roomn in the
Michigan Union
Clarinet Quintet. Op. 115.. . . . . ..Brahms
Piano Quintet, Op. 34..................... .- ...... ......-..Brahms
David Shifrin, clariner
William Doppman, piano
Shifrin, who has played with many professional or-
chestras and now teaches clarinet at the University,
plays with an elegant, liquid sound, and tremendous
sensitivity and feeling. In the Brahms Clarinet Quintet
Thursday evening, it seemed that every note was impor-
tant (as, indeed, each should be),--from the brooding
slow passages to the rippling faster sections, where the
notes were like pearls on a string.
THE PIANO quintet was equally enjoyable, with
William Doppmann giving an immaculate performan-
ce. Hard as it is to believe, I don't think Doppmann
missed a note in the entire difficult score. He coaxed a
wide range of feeling from the often ungracious Pen-
dleton piano, and was in turn passionate, brilliant,
dramatic, and subdued. Doppmann tended towards
understatement in a piece by an often overstated com-
poser, but Brahms' emotional undercurrents and wry
humor fare better with this treatment, as long as un-
derstatement doesn't become coldness-it never did
Thursday night.
The International, Quartet is a young group that
deserves notice. They played with vigor and accuracy,
and a good feeling for Brahms' dramatic tendencies.
From the subdued opening of the Piano Quintet's third
movement to the furious climax, there was a feeling of
michigan DAILY
steadily building tension, even in the less dramatic,
more lyrical sections. The quintet wisely saved some
intensity the first time through, so the da capo retained
the potency it can easily lose by being too intense
during the initial statement.
THE MORE MELODIC slow passages were also well.
executed, although not quite as convincingly as the
more energetic sections. The clarinet quintet on the
whole fared better in the lyrical sections, especially in
terms of balance. There was more of a feeling of en-
semble, more unity of purpose. Not that any part of the
piano quintet was poorly played, but in a few spots, the
players didn't mesh as they should have.
For example, in the opening of the second movement
the violin was too loud, and his accompaniment pattern
kept intruding on the pianist's quiet, reflective melody.
CLARINETIST David Shifrin performed the Brahms
"Clarinet Quintet" with the International String
Quarter Thursday night in the Pendleton Room of the
Michigan Union.
A large part of this slight deficiency was undoubtedly
due to the cavernous Pendleton Room and the piano,
which tends to be low on resonance.
These were, however, slight deficiencies that barely
marred a very fine performance by a group of superior
artists. They deserved the four curtain calls they
received.
GM plans defense oj
(Contiued from Page1)
support that country's apartheid
regime responsible for discrimination
and segregation on the basis of color
and race.
THE GMSA document is being
labeled by these groups as proof of
GM's importance to the white South
African government.
University President Robben
Fleming said he thought the document
was nothing more than a list of options
which all companies operating in South
Africa probably have concerning the
possibility of social unrest.
NEPAL HAS
FESTIVALS GALORE
KATMANDU, Nepal (AP)Nepal has
more festival days than days of the
year.
The major festival, Bada Dasain,
takes 15 days to celebrate. Others in-
clude Gai Jatra, an eight-day Cow
Festival; Indra Jatra, also eight days
long, featuring three parades with the
living Goddess in Katmandu; Tihar,
when all homes are illuminated; and
Teej, a special festival for women.
The celbration days are different
each yer, according to the lunar calen-
dar.
The memo shows that because GMSA
has a "national key point status" the
local government, in the event of
violence, would assist in maintaining the
security of facilities by various means
including "traitiing plant personnel for
milita type duties."
THE MEMO goes on to state, that
"these conditons would amount to vir-
tually having the South African gover-
nment as a partner in the business,"
Fleming said, "That's a choice they're
going to have to make."
The choice according to Fleming was
, stay and be partner to the government
or get out. He pointed out that there was
nothing in the memo which indicated
that GM has made a decision on that
point.
But Tim Smith, Director of the In-
teraith Center for Corporate Respon-
sibility (ICCR), said the memo, "seems
to indicate that GM is co-operating with
the government (South Africa) on this
contingency plan."
Smith, who spoke at the University's
Forum on Corporate investment in
South Africa last February, said this
memo raises question about whether
GM can be a force "for progressive
social change in South Africa,"
especially considering their importan-
ce to the military.
LAST MARCH the Regents passed a
S.African plants
resolution which stated they would sell don't, and if you do then you're part of
stock in corporations which didn't work South Africa," said Samoff. "There's
for the "enhancement of political, no way to be in South Africa and be
economic and social rights for all of the critical of or opposed to apartheid."
corporation's employees in South Regarding the sale of GM trucks to
Africa." The Regents also asked for the South African government "for
regular reports on the companies' Defense Force purposes," Samoff said
progress. he was not sure it technically violated
Those Regents contacted declined the arms embargo against that coun-
comment at this time saying they would try. "It certainly violates the spirit of
like to see the full document before of- the embargo," he said.
fering an opinion.
Joel Samoff, a University political
science professor and expert on African WHERE DO I MAIL MY
said the document pointa out RESUMES? International's 82 pg. CORP. DIRECTORY
affairs,si hedc m ntpitso t lsing more than 700 leading 5.5. und Overseas Car-
that, "it is impossible to operate in Potion; comptenaladdresef, ",diet
South Africa without supporting apar- !miling.
theid " uSend 5 uy.95spstOdon
(Discounts for QuantityOrdrs)
He said the two go together. "You Intemrtional Resume Service
either operate in South Africa or you L P..oxSutuM, TENNNT, NJ. 07763
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