Volume 24 Issue 7 - April 2019

performance using a singing translation by Paul England. Berlioz
composed this Dramatic Legend as he called it, for three soloists,
Faust, Marguerite and Mephistopheles, to be performed in a concert
setting. Faust is sung by the ubiquitous tenor of the day, Richard
Lewis; Marguerite is Australian mezzo-soprano Joan Hammond;
and Mephistopheles is the great Polish bass Marian Nowakowski.
The three fit their roles convincingly. A fourth character, a student
named Brander, sung by bass-baritone Hervey Alan seems to have
nothing to do with the plot.
I was most interested in hearing Joan Hammond as I was quite a fan
and had not heard her for years. She was still in fine voice here, aged
41, but ten years later an operation affected her hearing and she
retired to Australia. In addition to the Berlioz there is a live performance
of Dvořák’s Te Deum from 1954 (the 50th anniversary of the
composer’s death) also recorded in Royal Festival Hall. The soloists are
Elizabeth Schwarzkopf and baritone Bruce Boyce. In this performance
Sargent conducts the BBC Symphony and Choral Society. Ah,
Schwarzkopf.
One of the most deserving artists resurrected
from the archives that I had not
heard in a long time is the late Greek
pianist Vasso Devetzi. Born in 1927 in
Thessalonica, her outstanding talents
were recognized at a young age, giving
her first recital aged seven. Her international
career began in Paris playing the
Schumann Piano Concerto under Albert
Wolff. In the Soviet Union where she remained for several years in
the 1960s and 70s she was associated with classical music superstars
David Oistrakh, Rostropovich and Rudolf Barshai with whom she
performed and recorded extensively in a repertoire including Haydn,
Mozart, Shostakovich, Beethoven, Bach, Fauré and others. Back in
France she was a close friend of fellow Greeks Maria Callas and Mikis
Theodorakis. Devetzi died in 1987.
Devetzi’s keyboard artistry is a harmonious combination of style,
control, transparency and touch. To elaborate somewhat, she demonstrates
a most sympathetic affinity with the unique style of the each
composer. Her control is manifested by a magic blend of energy and
purity. Her level of performance transparency and clarity is reminiscent
of Glenn Gould (without mannerism or arrogance) and Dinu
Lipatti. She is providing us with a personal measure of humour and
communication. Her touch has a rare versatility, the ability to transform
her instrument into an organ, a harp, a clavichord or a
mandolin. In addition, with captivating lightness she can almost make
the piano a non-percussive instrument. In summary, a delightful treat
for the listener.
Volume 1 of the Doremi projected Vasso
Devetzi / Rudolf Barshai collection (DHR-
8063/4 naxosdirect.com) presents the
six solo keyboard concertos, BWV1052
to BWV 1058 with the Moscow Chamber
Orchestra. In addition there are works for
solo keyboard: Partita No.1 in B flat Major
BWV825; Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue
BWV903; French Suite No.6 in E major
BWV817 and the Prelude and Fugue No.5 BWV850 from The Well-
Tempered Clavier.
Volume 2 (DHR-8069) is all Haydn, with the same cast playing
the Concerto in D Major Op.21, (Hob. XIII:11) in addition to four solo
piano sonatas: C Major, Hob.XVI:35; F Major Hob.XVI:23: D Major,
Hob.XVI:51 and A-flat Major, Hob.XVI:46.
The series is off to an exuberant start with the remarkable synergy
between all concerned. There is lots of Mozart promised for the
coming months.
continued from page 18
the always uncertain future of our orchestras. And that’s where the
upcoming June 12 to 14 Orchestras Canada conference at the National
Arts Centre in Ottawa, titled Designing the 21st Century Orchestra:
Embedding Canadian Orchestras in Canadian Communities, promises
to be rather useful.
The notion of “embedding orchestras in communities” is catchy,
but not if it becomes a lazy catch-all. It is ultimately only useful as a
starting point for minutely specific exploration of what the two-way
chemistry that needs to exist between communities and their orchestras
actually consists of. Carleton thrives on this kind of detailed
delving, fascinated by what it can uncover.
“I’ll give you an example,” she says. “One of the fascinating conversations
we have been involved with lately – quite amazing to me
actually – led to becoming aware, among smaller groups with volunteer
musicians, of the competition among these orchestras for the
finest volunteer musicians. The clear sense from these players is that if
the orchestra is not giving them the opportunity to play the repertoire
that they want to in a setting that is congenial for their artistic goals
and standards, musicians will go orchestra shopping; so when orchestras
like that are asking the question What is our definition of the
community we serve? the musicians themselves are going to be very
high on that list, because if the entire trombone section walks, and we
can’t attract trombones, then what do we do?”
“So what are some of the other good questions, like that one,
then?” I ask.
“The question of where excellence fits in,” she says, “that’s a good
one. Poor old Beethoven, you know. He often comes in for a bit of a
beating in conversations like this. A bit ironic, really. We’ll be sitting
around a table and someone will sometimes say, ‘Is our purpose to play
Beethoven better every time that the group has the honour of engaging
with that music?’ And sometimes it may simply be fine to say YES. That
is our job, that is our role, that is our goal as an organization. But maybe
there are times where it needs to be a ‘Yes, ... and’ as the improvisers
say. Or maybe a ‘Yes … until’ as in ‘’Yes, until it becomes so highly prioritized,
in some cases, that volunteer musicians are no longer welcome.’”
“And more?” I ask.
“Perhaps most important, because orchestras are complex contraptions,
with lots of people with strong opinions, who are the people
involved in these conversations about which way forward? What are
the differing perspectives that are coming to the table? The musicians,
highly trained and with very specific skills: how are they
involved? Board and staff. Volunteers? Is there a living conversation at
the place?”
A pause … and then, “This is not dull work,” she says.
FRESH & EXCITING NEW RECORDING
David Perlman can be reached at publisher@thewholenote.com.
nivclassical.com
84 | April 2019 thewholenote.com