Volume 10 Issue 1 - September 2004

COVER STORY
PETER B
0uNo]IAN
rowsing the 04/05 season
listings at the February '04
season launch, something
had jumped out at me: an April
2005 concert featuring Beeth-
May. Very important piece for "The Dance of the world it-
me. Beethoven apparently once self. Defiance, wild joy, the wail
stated, when asked, that it was of pain, love's transport, utmost
oven's Opus 131 String Quartet,
arranged for string orchestra by
the greatest of all his works. bliss, grief, frenzy, riot, suffer-
Certainly it is a remarkable and ing; then lightning flickers, thun-
innovative creation, one that will ders growl." He laughs.
Oundjian himself.
TSO
Possibly a nice starting point
for a conversation, I thought,
because of his career as first
violinist with the Tokyo Quartet,
a connection with Toronto also
BY DAVID PERLMAN
1 spoke with Peter Oundjian in dating back to 1981, when he
early August by phone. He was joined them. (They had been
home in Weston, Connecticut, "a corning to the city, courtesy
bit fried" after a trip from As- Music Toronto, since 1974.)
pen, Colorado. "The flight from "There was a big fuss made
Denver was fine, but they fly when he joined," recalls Jennifer
these ten seaters out of Aspen Taylor, Music Toronto general
and prefer to run them full. So manager. "He was fifteen years
they cancel on one excuse or younger than the others, and not
another till there's a crowd. And Japanese. But they loved him.
you wait."
He was a very exciting musician,
capable of the perfect unison for
Wi e'd met previously,
which they were renowned, but
briefly, at the TSO's
also witty enough to set the cat
00415 season launch in
among the pigeons, so to speak.
February. With much fanfare
They were, along with the Jui!-
(literal and metaphoric) he had
liard, the best; and I'd say in his
gone from being "Music Director
years with them they were at
Designate" to the full-blown,
their best. Just this past spring
unhedged version of the thing.
when the A very Fisher A ward
Standing in the wings that day
went to the Emerson String
was Walter Homburger, who had
Quartet, the first time it has gone
given Oundjian his first major
to an ensemble, the Emerson
solo violin appearance, with the
said, in accepting, that they
TSO in 1981. "I was not inwished
it had gone, before them,
volved in the selection process
to the Tokyo or the Juilliard."
for music director," Mr. Hom-
Digging a bit deeper after the
burger said, "but I'm happy
launch, I found the Op.131 again:
about it. Peter is not only a gifton
the program of his farewell
ed musician, but he also is a
appearance with the Tokyo String
great communicator. I look for-
Quartet in Houston Dec 6 1996.
ward to many great concerts. "
Worth asking about, indeed!
G
'' ood idea to discuss so, finally, we're talking,
131" he wrote back. and he's quoting, with
"It was also on my relish and apparently from
last program as Music Director memory, Wagner on the suhject of
of Amsterdam Sinfonietta last the final movement of Op. 131.
always fascinate us all. Mahler
Your comment about the tradewas
the one who first suggested
off is interesting; gaining enorthat
the late quartets of Beethoven
mous power by risking intimacy
were too powerful for just a
and clarity. You learned the
string quartet to play; he stated in
latter as a chamber musician.
1899, when he took over the
Can you salvage it?
Vienna Opera, that these pieces
would become a part of their In the case of this work, loss of
repertoire. He did perform Op. clarity in sound picture can be
95 (not really a late quartet) and balanced by the occasional solo
Schubert's Death and the Maiden recitative line. But, face it, clarity
but seems never to have tran- in general has not been the
scribed or performed the others." strong point of the symphony
"I feel strongly that certain quar- orchestra since the late 19th centets
work this way and others do tury. You have only to think of
not. Many aspects of 131 are overpoweringly huge Mozart
strengthened and broadened in the symphonic interpretations as an
full string orchestra version, others example. These are generally
are perhaps less personal in terms large orchestras with a heavy
of sound picture, but that depends style pushing to overpower huge
very much on the performance and halls.
the choices of the transcriber. I try
The way the TSO had to push in
to retain the intimacy as much as
the old RTH?
possible by occasionally using solo
voices; and to retain the clarity by Exactly. Right back to my first
rehearsing in great detail; and mean- time hearing them in the new
while to take full advantage of the hall, I found myself saying to the
extraordinary power in moments or strings, you don't have to push.
movements that require it, especial- Just play the sound you want.
ly in the final movement which
Wagner described as "the Dance
of the world itself..." There's a
longer quote I can give you when
we actually talk."
Can you say more about the
path from chamber violinist to
conducting? How do you get
from Houston December 6 1996
CONTINUES PAGE 9
f"IDEX OF ADVERTISERS
ADAM OSINSKI 41 DR. SARAH MICKELER, CHIROPRACTOR 57 MDDREDALE CONCERTS 42 RCM COMMUNITY SCHOOL 39 TORONTO Att·STAR BIG BAND 49
ALDEBURGH CONNECTION 17 EARSHOT CONCERTS 24,43,46 MUKI BAUM ASSOCIATION 47 REBECCA HAAS 42 T DRONTO CENTRE FOR THE ARTS 14
ALEESA SunoN 57 ELMER ISELER SINGERS 59 Music AT SHARON 2004 47 REMOTE RECORDING/PRB 60 TORONTO CHILDREN'S CHORUS 40
Au CANADIAN JAzz FESTIVAL 29 ESPRIT ORCHESTRA 2 Music GALLERY 27 RETURN TO LEARN 55 T ORDNTO CHORAL SOCIETY 19
AMADEUS CHOIR 20 FELDENKRAIS TRAINING TOR ONTO 57 Music ON THE HILL 43 RICK MALTESE 56 TORONTO MASQUE THEATRE 44
AMICI CHAMBER ENSEMBLE 17 FRIDAYS @ EIGHT 45 MUSlC TORONTO 9,46 ROBERT LOWREY PIANO EXPERTS 21 T ORDNTO MENDELSSOHN CHOIR 19
ARRAYMUSlC 25 GARY ARMSTRONG Wooow1Nos 23 MUSICA 54 Roy THOMSON HALL/MASSEY HALL 3 T DRONTD OPERA REPERTOIRE 32
ARTISAN INSTITUTE OF Music 56 GEORGE HEINL 22 MUSICIANS IN ORDINARY 44 Rom OPERA CANADA 71 TORONTO SENIOR STRINGS 17
ARTS RICHMOND HILL 35 GRACE CHURCH·DN·THE·HILL 21 NADINA MACKIE JACKSON 67 S.R.I. CANADA • CHANDDS 4 T DRDNTD SINFONIETIA 14
ATMA CLASSIDUE 67 GUITAR SOCIETY OF TORONTO 43 NAXDS CANADA 61 S.R.I. CANADA • BRIUIANT CLASSICS 65 T DRDNTD SYMPHONY 69
AVENUE ROAD ARTS SCHOOL 53 HANNAFORD STREET SILVER BAND 12 NEW Music CONCERTS 15 S.R.I. CANADA • HYPERION 63 TORONTO THEATRE ORGAN SOCIETY 13
BAY BLOOR RADIO 72 HARKNETI MUSICAL SERVICES 31 NEW OPERA AND CONCERT CENTRE 33 SALVATION ARMY 47 T ORDNTO WORLD UNITY CHOIR 18
BRASH BRASS 56 HEUCONIAN HALL 57 NEW SCHOOL OF CLASSlCAL VOCAL STUDIES 34 SINFONIA T ORDNTD 11 TRINITY-ST. PAUL'S Urn CHURCH CHOIR 18
CANCLONE 60 I FURIDSI 44 NEWTONBRDDK UNITED CHURCH CHOIR 21 SONGBIRD STUDIOS 40 T YPE:MORRIS 18
CATHEDRAL BLUFFS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 16 INTERNATIONAL TOURING PRODUCTIONS 22 NORTH T DRDNTO INSTITUTE OF Music 38 SouNo PosT 23 UNIVERSITY OF T DRDNTO BDDKSTORE 59
C BC RECORDS 68 JANET CATHERINE DEA 40 NDTESCAPE VOCAL JAZZ ENSEMBLE 28 SOUNDSTREAMS 45 UNIVERSITY OF ToRONTO FAc. OF MuSJc 8
CENTENARY UNITED CHURCH 50 JUBILATE SINGERS 18 OFF CENTRE Music SALON 13 STEFAN MILENKDVICH 43 VAGUIF KERIMOV 32,56
CHRIST CHURCH DEER PARK 29 KATERINA BULAT 5 7 ONT. REG. Music TEACHERS' Ass.'N. 38 SUE CROWE CONNOLLY 56 VIVA VOCE VOICE STUDIO 55
CITY OF T DR.: DANCE AND DANCE·ABILTY 22 KEREKES Music LESSONS 55 OPERA IN CONCERT 33 SUSAN PURDY Music 56 VLADIMIR DOUNIN 54
CITY OF TOR.: EARLY Music FAIR 23 KINGSWAY CONSERVATORY OF Music 37 OPERA YORK 33 SwmwATER Music WEEKEND 53 VOCAL ARTS STUDIO 54
COLLABORATIONS 42 L1sTME.CA 25 DPERA·IS 32 TAFELMUSIK 7 WESTBEN ARTS FESTIVAL THEATRE 48
COSMO Music 37 LONG & Mc0UADE 31 ORPHEUS CHOIR OF T DRDNTO 20 TALLIS CHOIR 18 WHOLENDTE 26,50,53
CREATIVE STRINGS 40 MARK TETREAULT 55 PALESTRINA CHAMBER CHORUS CHOIR 21 TEACHING Music WITH COLOUR 55 WOMEN'S MUSICAL CLUB OF TORONTO 17
DAVE SNIDER Music CENTRE 21 MARKHAM THEATRE 70 Pm1E KELLY 56 TEMC: MERIDTH HAll}SYLVAIN BERGERON 46 WORLD Music ON THE DANFORTH 54
DEER PARK UNITED CHURCH 45 MIKROKOSMDS 61 PETER MAHON 18 TIMOTHY EATON ORCHESTRA 56 WORLDS OF Music T DRDNTO 26
DENISE WILLIAMS 56 MISSISSAUGUA CHORAL SOCIETY 19 PHILIP l. DAVIS LUTHIER 23 TOREADOR Music RECORDING FACILITIES 61 YAMAHA Music SCHOOL 39
6 WWW. THEWHOLENOTE.COM SEPTEMBER 1 - OCTOBER 7 2004