Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) is a young American composer (of Haitian
ancestry) and violinist in whose company I spent yesterday evening.  DBR,
along with pianist Wynne Bennett and violinist Anthea Kreston performed an
eclectic program including some of DBR's own compositions as well as those
of JS Bach and Bartok.

DBR is an entertaining performer: some traditionalists might claim his
showmanship stands in the way of the music, but I think for this type
of program that's not the case.  His composition "Filter" is scored for
violin and voice, and he acquitted himself in both roles quite well.
I found it an enjoyable and arresting work (actually I'm not sure where
"Dreds" and "Black Man Singing" left off and "Filter" began, as he ran
the three compositions together).  There is a fair amount of body language
in DBR's stage presence, but that seems not out of place with music with
titles like "Cool Jam" and "Hot Jam".  DBR and Ms. Bennett also performed
the prayer from DBR's "Voodoo Violin Concerto, No. 1", a pleasing, if
somewhat repetitious, work with jazz influences as well as some good ole
down home Country and Western fiddlin'.  DBR rounded out the first half
of the program with his own arrangement of "Hatikvah, My Country" in
which he juxtaposed themes from Hatikvah and America (known to some on
this list as "God Save the Queen").  He announced that the work was the
first piece he performed in public, when he was five years old (I assume
he meant Hatikvah, the work to which he gave greater prominence in his
arrangement).

Anthea Kreston led off the second program with a thoroughly competent
"Chaconne in D minor" by JS Bach (um, I think that's the chaconne movement
from the Partita in D minor), although I think her rendition would not
be ranked among the great performances of that complex work.  I found
some of the violinist's mannerisms to be a bit distracting during that
work, so my eyes frequently rested on DBR, who sat on stage through her
performance like a granite statue- so much at variance with his posture
when he took the limelight.  DBR then stepped to the side of the stage
to perform Philip Glass' "Strung Out", a work that elevates repetition
to a high art form, but would probably disappoint those who think that
music should present contrasting moods, or contrasting anything.  DBR
himself seemed to agree when, after polite applause, he said, "Thank you
for being patient".  I concede, I found the work to be minimally
interesting.  The pair then performed some of Bartok's "44 Duos For Two
Violins".  DBR proved himself capable of not taking himself too seriously
when he flipped to the wrong duo of this piece, leading to an interesting
moment with Ms. Kreston.  He clued in the audience by matter of factly
stating, "I'm sorry, that was my mistake" as the pair prepared to begin
again.

DBR makes music fun- he evidently enjoys this process of making music.
His compositions are fun to hear, and they demand the violin create
sounds that I suspect Stradavari never contemplated. My sense is they
do not require the greatest technical mastery or the most subtle or
complex intonation of which his instrument is capable.

For three years, I have subscribed to the string series at the Kennedy
Center that featured DBR last evening.  I think attendance at last night's
performance was the most I have seen, and was easily one of the most
enthusiastically received.  DBR unabashedly brings his own style and
emphasis to the world of chamber music.   And his interspersing music
from the standard repertoire with music like "Filter" and "Hip-Hop Studies
and Etudes" probably serves the cause of bringing music like Bach's
Partita to people who are unfamiliar with that genre.

Larry Sherwood