The day’s final glow from Bastyr dormitory.
Photo: © Charles Noble
Tonight was the final faculty chamber concert of the 2009 Max Aronoff Viola Institute, a string camp that I started along with University of Puget Sound viola faculty Joyce Ramée back in 1990. It was a great concert on three counts: the quality of the performances, the indefatigable nature of the pianist, and the near-capacity audience.
First, the performances. The concert opened with Betty Agent, violist, and Dr. Duane Hulbert, pianist, playing the first Viola da Gamba Sonata by J.S. Bach. They gave a detailed and clear-eyed performance of the work, with impeccable balance between the modern piano and viola voices. Next came the seldom-heard Second Sonata, Op. 121 for violin and piano of Robert Schumann, played with passion and delicacy by Nancy Roth, violinist, and pianist Hulbert. Particularly haunting was the beautifully strange and beguilling Leise, einfach third movement, with soft pizzicati in the violin and crystalline strumming in the piano.
After intermission, the Infanta Marina, Op. 83 of Vincent Persichetti was beautifully performed by violist Scott Ligocki (principal violist of the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra) and pianist Hulbert. It’s a neglected piece in the viola repertoire, now out of fashion, and unfairly so. Ligocki brought a warm, full, rich tone to the piece, with some exceptional pianissimo playing. Hulbert matched him note for note, a most sympathetic partner. The final piece on the program was the C minor Piano Quartet of Johannes Brahms, played by Roth, Ligocki, cellist Richard Treat, and Hulbert. It was a magnificent performance, full of drama and tenderness as required, and with pure intonation, precise ensemble, and a terrific sense of proportion and movement. It received a well-deserved standing ovation at its conclusion from the packed house.
You’ll have noted that Duane Hulbert, the pianist, played on every piece in the program. To a very high standard. What you don’t know is that he took a bad fall during a run near his house in Tacoma on Tuesday morning, and was rushed to the emergency room for treatment of facial and hand injuries, as well as a severely pulled hamstring muscle. The dress rehearsal was held Wednesday afternoon, and then the performance took place on Wednesday evening. I think it’s pretty amazing, the kind of “the show must go on” attitude that was demonstrated by Duane, and my hat is off to him. He was a tremendous good sport and played a concert that he could have canceled his participation with no hard feelings from anyone else involved. When I hear of some of my orchestral colleagues calling in sick for hangnails and other such nonsense, I want to point out situations such as this, where genuine hardship and injury is sustained, and the performer does what a professional always does: his job.
Finally, there was the packed house. We had the most people ever at a MAVI concert this evening, which must be credited to some generous coverage this morning in the Seattle Times. You can click here to read the story. The cellist pictured also just happens to be Heather Blackburn, well-known to Portland audiences and my lovely wife.
Also, the Penderecki Cadenza performance from Tuesday evening’s concert is now available to stream or purchase for download at InstantEncore.com. Or you can listen to it at the “Charles Noble Radio” widget in the right-hand column of this blog.