ARTS
Thursday, October 7, 1982
The Michigan Daily
Page7
Perlman: A gem of
a concert
By Lauris Kaldjian
Great expectations awaited Itzhak
Perlman's Tuesday evening perfor-
mance at Hill Auditorium, and even
greater memories remain in its after-
math. What an exquisite joy it was to
hear, see, and feel the radiant warmth
that has made Perlman one of the most
beloved artists on concert stages today.
The moment his bow met his violin
there was no stopping Perman's ex-
pressive music seeking to convey the
utmost in beauty. Though he looked
unusually tired (if not worn), his open
performance style and
acknowledgement of audience per-
sisted.
The program was diverse: Bach,
Beethoven, Dvorak, Sarasate, and of
course, Kreisler. Beethoven's Sonata in
A major, Op. 12, No. 2, opened the con-
cert with a clean, often playful
exhibition of Perlman's lyrical
phrasing. No less a part of the perfor-
mance was pianist Samuel Sanders;
the nine Beethoven piano-violin sonatas
are expressly not violin solos-on the
contrary, they are duets. Sanders
mastered his equal role while main-
taining the communication so
necessary in such chamber music.
Perlmanand Sanders both responded
to their respective lines, creating a
revealing and balanced dialogue.
A hallmark in every violinist's reper-
toire is Bach's Partita in D major for
solo violin. Never before have I heard
this grandly conceived work (par-
ticularly the "Chaconne" movement)
played with such respect, sense, and
conviction. Perlman was able to com-
municate the simultaneous complexity
and purity of Bach.
Perlman seemed almost in awe of the
beauty he recreated from Bach's
genius, at times even moving away and
back from his violin as if to draw atten-
tion away from himself and to the
music. His treatment of the "Chacon-
ne" approached the sacred; and all the
while the audience was with him. When
his violin whispered, an uncommon
stillness crept over the auditorium: he
was in control.
After intermission Perlman returned
somewhat refreshed-an appropriate
state for Dvorak. The Sonatina in G
major, Op. 100 features the Czech com-
poser's typical harmonic simplicity and
folkmusic motifs; Perlman brought the
composition to life with moods ranging
from melancholic and contemplative to
earthy and boisterous.
Naturally, Tuesday night's perfor-
mance.would not have been complete
without a taste of Perlman humor. Af-
ter returning to the stage for the fourth
selection he informed the audience that
"Selections to be announced" was
without opus number and composer,
and, after a few laughs, reasoned, "So
we'll just play anything!" Following a
series of unsuccessful huddles with
Sanders the final call was Kreisler and
Sarasate.
Kreisler's Preludium and Allegro and
Liebesleid overflowed with liberties
and sentimentality; yet it made sense
because Perlman treated it with his
usual care and understood the music's
setting. Sarasate's Zapateado ran the
gamut of virtuoso possibilities for the
violin-it was amazing.
Unfortunately, it took this dazzling
display of technique in the Sarasate en-
core (the typ of piece Sir Thomas
Beecham a urately termed "A con-
cert lollip6p") to raise the audience to
its feet. There is a place for pieces like
Zapateado that make one chuckle in
disbelief, but such show is a far cry
from the profound import of music like
Bach's Partita, especially as rendered
by Perlman Tuesday evening.
There was no doubt of Itzhak
Perlman's impact in Hill Auditorium;
he left nothing to be desired. Well,
maybe one thing: a speedy return.
_
-Q
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A
Itzhak Perlman, virtuoso violinist, performed Tuesday night at Hill
°}Auditorium.
No,
Giorgio.
Yes,
Pavarotti.
Oy Richard Campbell
D O NOT PAY money to watch
Yes, Giorgio. But if you can sneak
in, or can wait until it gets to TV (which
won't be too long), give it a chance.
The only reason for the film's
'existence is its star, Luciano Pavarotti.
Two hours of celluloid all for one of the
best tenors money can buy. Not the
worst reason a film could be made-if it
were made by someone with talent.
A more ineptly directed, edited, or
-scripted film you would be hard-
pressed to find. Giorgio is both
childishly simple and disgustingly
pompous.
The filmmakers apparently don't
even know what they are working with.
Pavarotti begins to sing at an outdoor
concert in Boston and the camera
furiously flies around filming boats,
audience members, and overhead shots
of the stage, just like a bad commer-
cial. Pavarotti has more than enough
magnetism and talent to hold the
audience's interest; there's no need to
resort to cute camera tricks, just let the
man sing.
What plot there is concerns a mature
female doctor with whom Giorgio Fini,
world-famous tenor, decides to have a
fling. Off they go to California and New
York having more fun than people
should be allowed to have. Suddenly
Fini is asked to fill in the starring role
in the opening performance of Turandot
at the Met. Ye gods, Finis is scared of
this proposal because he suffered ex-
treme embarrassment at an earlier
Met performance.
Will Fini have the guts to perform at
the Met? Will opening night go off
without a hitch?
By this time Giorgio and his consort
are having difficulties in their relation-
ship. Giorgio's already married but
doesn't see any harm in idle fun. A
strange idea coming from a man hap-
pily married and with two kids.
But amidst all this bad cinema there
is Pavarotti singing his heart out. And,
amazingly, by the end of the film the
director has enough confidence in his
plot to let the camera remain on
Pavarotti during the emotional climax
to Turandot. It's a dramatic ending to a
lousy film that almost makes up for the
inadequacies of the first hour and a
half.
MEET WITH A REPRESENTATIVE AT:
Career Planning and Placement
Room 3200 Student Activities Building
The University of Michigan
October 11, 1982
8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
-
i.
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OM....."
ANN ARBOR
7
II
INDIVIDUAL THEATRES
5th Ae ' o '' berty 764.9700
J
Chicago symphony strikes
CHICAGO (AP)- Musicians of the
*Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO )
have overwhelmingly rejected a
,proposed pay increase and launched a
}strike that forced cancellation of the
first two weeks of subscription concer-
ts.
The canceled events include perfor-
mances by pianists Rudolf Serkin and
Horacio Gutierrez and guest conductors
-:Claudio Abbado and Toronto Symphony
,Music Director Andre Davis.
Orchestra officials said Wednesday
that negotiations in the dispute have
been scheduled to resume next,
Tuesday, but added that discussions
may be held before then.
Joyce Idema, public relations direc-
tor for the orchestra, said the strike,
called Tuesday by the Chicago
federation of Musicians, may force
cancellation of the orchestra's planned
10 concerts in Milwaukee scheduled to
begin Oct. 18.
The CSO is slated to perform at Hill
Auditorium this coming April 14th, with
Sir Georg Solti conducting. Solti, the
music director, is in London perfor-
ming with the London Philharmonic,
and has no scheduled appearances in
Chicago until the end of October, Ms.
Idema said.
The last CSO strike, for one week at
the beginning of the 1979 season, affec-
ted severaldownstate performances.
Contract disputes early in the 1970s
resulted in short cancellations of per-
formances in Chicago.
Thursday's performance was to
feature Abbado, the orchestra's recen-
tly appointed principal guest conduc-
tor, and Serkin, Performances
scheduled for next week were to include
Davis and Gutierrez. The 116 symphony
musicians agreed earlier in the year to
a three-week extension of their
previous contract, which expired in
September, through Oct. 3, in order to
complete an 11-day tour of the Midwest
and a benefit for the Chicago Council on
Fine Arts.
Nicholas Bliss, president of the
Chicago Federation of Musicians, said
Tuesday that union members had
rejected, "reluctantly and with
regret," management's final offer by a
vote of 101-2. Base pay for members of
the orchestra now is $650 a week. Both
sides in the dispute have agreed not to
discuss the details of the negotiations.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported
Wednesday that sources at the union
meeting Tuesday said they would not
settle for less than what orchestra
musicians receive in other cities.
"BRILLIANT"-ROGER EBERT
IT'S A COMEDY, A THRILLER,
A ROMANCE ..-. AND IT'S
UNLIKE ANY MOVIE YOU'VE
THURS., FRI-7:10, 9:30
a
THE SECOND ANNUAL
ALEXANDER ECKSTEIN MEMORIAL LECTURE
POST-MAO CHINA:
ON A NEW COURSE LEADING WHERE?
A. DOAK BARNETT
PROFESSOR OF CHINESE STUDIES
SCHOOL OF ADVANCED INTERMATIONAL STUIES,
JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
the university of michigan
center for chinese studies
presents
fl 5 IUTI
1!.!!i
A DESPERATE ROMANCE!
Richard Gere - Debra Winger
"AN OFFICER AND
A GENTLEMAN" (R)
THURSDAY OCT. 7
8PM
RACKHAM AMPHITHEATRE
THURS., FRI-7:40, 9:55
Solti
... director of CSO
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