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Page 2 Holliger shows virtuoso oboe technique The Globe and Mail (Canada) March 19, 19 ! Monda" 1 o# 1 $%C&M'(T

The Globe and Mail (Canada) March 19, 19 ! Monda"

Holliger shows virtuoso oboe technique

BYLINE: )%H( *+,G-&($. G,M LENGTH: /0 words 12 )%H( *+,G-&($ There are ti3es when attendance at two hal# concerts results in a sense o# #rustration4 5uch was #ar #ro3 the case 5aturda" night when 5wiss oboist Hein6 Holliger gave a recital, assisted b" 7ianist )ohn 5teele +itter, in the Toronto 5"37hon"8s Great Per#or3ers 5eries, at +o" Tho3son Hall, and Toronto conductor 'r3anno 9lorio conducted The Cha3ber Pla"ers o# Toronto, at Town Hall4 %boe recitals are relativel" rare and the chance to hear one o# toda"8s leading oboe soloists in recital is even rarer4 ,nd, having heard the earlier concerts b" the Cha3ber Pla"ers in a season with the twin goals o# #inding a new conductor and the :e" to international greatness, it see3ed equall" i37ortant to attend this one4 Holliger is not a co37lete stranger in Toronto, but hearing hi3 in e;7eri3ental or avant<garde wor:s with (ew Music Concerts is not quite the sa3e as hearing hi3 in 3usic ranging #ro3 Mo6art to the relativel" conte37orar"4 1" attending onl" the #irst hal# o# his 7rogra3, = 3issed the newest 3usic < 7ieces b" Poulenc, 1erio and $orati < but #ound a great deal o# satis#action in the co37ositions b" Mo6art, 1ritten and 5chu3ann4 = also le#t with a snea:ing sus7icion that hal# an oboe 7rogra3 3a" be 3ore agreeable than a whole one, unless the listener is addicted to the oboe8s duc:li:e sound4 Mo6art8s 5onata in 1 #lat, * >/ , established Holliger8s credentials as a sensitive inter7reter and as a virtuoso oboist4 =n the o7ening and closing 3ove3ents, he traversed long stretches, a77arentl" without breathing, "et 3anaged i37eccable 7hrasing at the sa3e ti3e4 =n the #inale, 7articularl", the technical #eat see3ed i37ossible, #or the 3ove3ent was ?ust short o# an e;ercise in 7er7etual 3otion4 2et the oboe was e;7ressive in both tone and 7hrase, in the slower, l"rical 3iddle 3ove3ent4 +itter8s contribution was discreet, but b" no 3eans inaudible, and equall" at ease in Mo6art st"le4 The two ca3e u7 with si3ilarl" 7olished ense3ble 7la"ing in 5chu3ann8s Three +o3ances #or %boe and Piano, %74 9!, in which the oboe shed so3e o# its quac:ing tone4 The #irst +o3ance had a restless character. the second verged on the sweetl" senti3ental. and the last had a 7ensive, 3elanchol" air4 1ut Holliger8s gi#t as an inter7reter was 3ost e;citingl" revealed in 1ritten8s 5i; Meta3or7hoses a#ter %vid, %74 !9, #or %boe 5olo4 The 3oods ranged #ro3 the hesitant tenderness o# the e7isode involving Pan and

Page > Holliger shows virtuoso oboe technique The Globe and Mail (Canada) March 19, 19 ! Monda" 5"rin; to the giddiness o# a 1acchanale, 7lagued b" gossi7ing wo3en and shouting bo"s4 1ritten8s inventions were brilliant and Holliger8s co33unication o# the3 dis7elled all thoughts about a 3onotonous sa3eness in tone and d"na3ics o# the oboe4 @hile = regretted 3issing #lutist 5usan Hoe77ner8s 7er#or3ance in Auant68s Concerto in G, #or 9lute and 5trings, with the Cha3ber Pla"ers, not hearing "et another 7er#or3ance o# Handel8s Concerto Grosso in 1 3inor, %74 B, (o4 12, did not see3 a serious loss4 9ortunatel" Miss Hoe77ner also had a 7art in the second hal# o# the 7rogra3 at Town Hall4 =t o7ened with McCaule"8s 9ive Miniatures #or 9lute and 5trings4 Miss Hoe77ner, a native o# ,lberta, currentl" stud"ing at the )uilliard 5chool o# Music with )ulius 1a:er, was the grand 7ri6e winner o# the 19 > Canadian Music Co37etition4 There was re3ar:able 3aturit" in her quiet assurance, as she 3olded the 3ellow #lute tone to McCaule"8s brie# character studies, with a77arentl" e##ortless virtuosit"4 , 3a?or asset was the balanced ense3ble 7la"ing o# the orchestra as it res7onded to both the te37os and 3oods o# the 3usic4 9lorio, the Toronto 5"37hon"8s #irst a77rentice conductor and currentl" conductor o# the T5 2outh %rchestra and the (iagara 5"37hon", co7ed ad3irabl" with the cha3ber 3usic a77roach in the Pla"ers8 inter7retation o# Grieg8s Holberg 5uite, %74 !04 The ense3ble8s 3e3bershi7 has shown vast i37rove3ent this season, revealed 5aturda" not onl" in intonation but in the subtle shi#t through a broad d"na3ic range4 Perha7s there is roo3 #or i37rove3ent in 7ianissi3os, but this is bound to co3e i# the Cha3ber Pla"ers continue to res7ond as alertl" as in this concert4 The season8s #inal 7rogra3, ,7ril 2 , will be conducted b" Harve" 5achs, with concert3aster Gerard *antar?ian as violin soloist4 LOAD-DATE: )anuar" 1B, 200/ LANG AGE: '(G-=5H ! BLI"ATION-TY!E: (ews7a7er

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