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 Want To Know~' What's Going On In Ann Arbor Over The Summer? SUBSCRIBE TO THE Call 764-0558 "or stop by 420 Maynard iOONb O6OO1OOOOOpOOOppppppp 0o00 a 000 06 6-00 0d 0o0 Ann Arbor Civic Theatre presents The Jean Kerr Comedy Finishing Touches Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre Curtain 8 pm Box office opens 3 p.m. for in.formation: 763 1085 No Phone Orders Q 'QQ 00 - 0 FA 9 Q Q&Q-st R 2 9 2 9 R 2 a Q+0 S 00 00 0-'0 2 0 00 $6.50 Spring-Summer Term $7.00 by mail outside Ann Arbor $3.50 Spring OR Summer Term $4.00 by mail outside Ann Arbor Out of town subscriptions m oust be pre-paid