SEBASTOPOL, CA - No, not the town on the Black Sea, made famous by the
Crimean War.  The Petersen String Quartet's performance of Shostakovich's
1973 Quartet No. 14 took place Saturday night in this Sebastopol, just a
few miles from Santa Rosa.

The chamber of commerce says this is a "small semi-urban community," which
may well mean just another place in the country, but this Russian River
town of 8,000 knows what great chamber music is, how to get it and what to
do about it.

Where once Miwok and Pomo Indians lived, where apple was king for much
of the past century, the Redwood Arts Council obtained the services of
violinists Conrad Muck and Daniel Bell, violist Friedemann Weigle and
cellist Jonas Krejci, just the night before they were due in Berkeley's
Hertz Hall with the same program of Haydn and Beethoven in addition to the
Shostakovich.

Rural, suburban or whatever, town folk filled the 240-seat charmingly
simple United Methodist Church of excellent acoustics, a glorious
performance unfolding under the Cross covered by an enormous piece of
burlap for Lent.

A rich, rewarding evening was made even more challenging and intriguing
by applying the Hampson Principle to the concert.  At Thomas Hampson's
last recital with San Francisco Performances, the baritone asked the
audience to listen to the music with the lights turned all the way down,
so they wouldn' t be distracted by reading the program.  The Redwood Arts
Council went Hampson one better by not having any program notes at all -
no information, no explanation, no distraction.

It might have been simple enough to ask the musicians for notes or just
get something basic off the Web, but it certainly made for an unusual
concert experience, albeit one I'd prefer not to repeat.  I am similarly
of two minds about the knowledgeable ruffian, who recognized the last bar
in the rarely-performed Shostakovich and exploded with an fff "BRAVO!" even
before the music ceased.  The demonstration of the misguided Sebastopolian
knowing his music clashed badly with the lack of consideration for the
musicians (who looked startled and not well pleased), the audience and the
music.  Otherwise, steady rain notwithstanding, there was minimal coughing
and throat-clearing, the audience was quiet, attentive and it celebrated
all three performances lustily.

And well they might have: of the numerous outstanding Petersen concerts
I have heard, this one - perhaps without the pressure of a large audience
- was the best.  Haydn's Quartet in B-flat major ("Sunrise") was both
thoughtful and free, the Allegro's surprising development built flawlessly,
the Adagio simple and heartfelt, the virtuoso Finale continuing the
vivacious Menuetto to its logical, blissful end.  Haydn is so often played
"correctly"; the Petersen makes it the sweeping musical experience it can
- and should - be.

The performance of the program-closing Beethoven Quartet No. 14 in F-sharp
major was very different from that of the Haydn.  It was flawless and
majestic, but a bit "heartless." Muck's exceptionally big sound (supported
by Bell, in pleasing lock-step) dominated the more lyrical music-making
from the violist and cellist.  Strangely, it was in the latter two, faster,
movements that beautiful - rather than correct - playing was restored.  In
the interest of "objective reporting," I need to say that the Beethoven was
clearly the audience favorite.

As one who had to listen to and even SING the blasted thing in a Young
Pioneer chorus, I have no great love for most of Stalin-era music, but a
current review terming the Shostakovich #14 "Soviet piffle" makes my eyes
bulge out in disbelief.  It is a wonderful work, especially as performed by
the Petersen at its best - which is what happened here.  The innocent (and
yes, banal) dance figures opening the Allegretto descend into dissonance
and chaos; the piece becomes a concerto for viola and cello, against the
two violins' "orchestra," and then begins the beating heart of the work,
the single movement combination of Adagio-Allegretto-Adagio.

In the middle of this movement, there is deep, sad contemplation,
Schoenberg 's "Transfigured Night" just around the corner from this night
music.  The pain that carries over from this section is resolved gloriously
at the end in a Mozartean manner of acceptance.  The four musicians gave
Shostakovich their all and yet there was no visible or audible effort, just
perfection.

The 20-year-old Redwood Arts Council series has presented some 200 events,
including recitals by Bonnie Hampton, Robert Mann, Nathan Schwartz, as well
as the Alexander, Mendelssohn, Stanford and Kronos quartets.

Upcoming concerts include the Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet on March
23 (United Methodist Church), the Gamelan Sekar Jaya on April 27 (Jackson
Theater, Santa Rosa), and the Artaria String Quartet on June 9 (Occidental
Community Church, the usual venue for the series.) For information, see
www.redwoodarts.org

Janos Gereben/SF
[log in to unmask]