ROHNERT PARK - What was Brahms thinking in 1865, writing his Horn Trio in
E flat, a century before Richard Todd arrived on the scene? Who did the
composer have in mind to perform this difficult piece, requiring perfect
balance between horn, violin and piano? Who but Todd, an extraordinary
virtuoso-musician albeit unknown to the composer, could do justice to it?

Too bad Brahms couldn't make it to Sonoma State University's packed Evert
B.  Person Theater Saturday night.  Here, the three-year-old Green Music
Festival produced its first chamber-music concert, a major musical event
right off the starting gate.

On the program: the New England Conservatory of Music's Borromeo
String Quartet, performing Schubert's Quartettsatz in C minor, then -
with festival music director and pianist extraordinaire Jeffrey Kahane -
Shostakovich's 1940 Piano Quintet, and finally, the Brahms, with Todd,
Kahane and violinist Margaret Batjer.

It was an equal partnership of the three musicians from the Los Angeles
Chamber Orchestra: Kahane (LACO music director), with his bright,
well-projected tone; Batjer (LACO concertmaster), providing a dark,
straightforward, powerful sound; and Todd. . .  simply incredible.  The
adjective is not used as an exclamation, but rather as a statement of fact.

It does not "credibly" register when you watch and listen to Todd produce
a flawless sound, a legato no brass instrument has business to provide,
many colors, amazing imitation of the oboe, organ, string instruments, the
human voice.  And, far more importantly, the blending the horn with the
other two, far less LOUD instruments in such a way that there is true
ensemble, that Brahms' music prevails over what otherwise might - but
shouldn't - become a big show of virtuosity.

The Borromeo Quartet - terrific first violinist Nicholas Kitchen, an
American; Canadian second violinist William Fedkenheure, Japanese violist
Mai Motobuchi and Korean cellist Yeesun Kim (an awesome presence) using the
name of a Northern Italian region, of course - is a real coup for Kahane
and the young festival to get.

The foursome plowed through the 10-minute Schubert miniature with
infectious energy and they put heart and soul into the capricious, moody
Shostakovich, which packs what could have been several independent pieces
into a half-hour journey of discovery and surprises.  Kahane, the pianist,
performed very much as Kahane, the conductor, usually does, although
sitting behind the string players.  His brilliant piano part came through
the quartet, guiding it, and at the same time the sound (clean, sparkling
notes) appeared above the strings, giving them a kind of leading edge.

Although the audience behaved with extreme propriety all evening long -
meeting the challenge of an unusual concert presented without program
notes, tsk, tsk - they burst into applause after the great good humor,
enormous energy of the Scherzo, and right they were, at that.  The roar
that greeted the Brahms was, if anything, too restrained a response.  Yes,
to the "Lisbon Traviata," you may well add the "Rohnert Park Brahms Horn
Trio," shorthand for a memorable occasion.

Janos Gereben/SF
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