The Performance

On Friday Oct.  11 2002, at the Levine School of Music in Washington
D.C., there was a program of 'cello miniatures performed by members of
the school's faculty: cellist John Gevorkian accompanied by pianist Irina
Kats.  The duo performed an electic collection of short cello pieces
from four nations.  The concert started with music from France, including
an Elegie by Faure and Ravel's Habanera.  The musicians, both expatriates
from the former Soviet Union, continued with music from Russia, performing
works by Glazunov, Rachmaninoff, Anton Rubenstein and Tchaikovsky,
including Rubenstein's lovely Melody.

After an intermission, the program continued with Manual Dafalla's
Spanish Suite, and concluded with selections from Armenian composers
with whom your reviewer was unfamiliar: Alexander Spendiarov, Gurgen
Adamyan, Komitas, Artemy Ayvazyan, and Alexander Arutunyan.

The performance was enthusiastically received by an audience of about
75 people.  And it was indeed music at a high level.  I do not fancy
myself as an expert on cello performances, but I think Mr Gevorkian's
performance would have stood up will in better known venues than a
community music school.  Possibly the most demanding of audiences would
have been distracted by what the writer thought was an occasional
imprecision in the cellist's attack, but the sensitivity, refinement,
deep caring in the performance relegated such criticism to the status
of an afterthought at most.  Devotees of the Starker school of the 'cello
might note that he appears to have no reservation about performing with
his fingers flat.  Ms.  Kats performed with consummate skill in her role
as accompanist, never wavering from the accompanist's cardinal prohibition
against being "too loud".  That a performance such as this is offered
to the public free of charge should be an inducement for Washingtonians
to check out faculty performances at the Levine School and to be mindful
of what this excellent institution has to offer.

The Performers (generously cribbed from the program notes)

In addition to serving on the faculty of the Levine School of Music,
Dr. John Gevorkian is soloist and principal 'cellist of the Washington
Symphony and the Mount Vernon Orchestras.  He also is a Professor of
'Cello at Columbia Union College.  He was born in Armenia and studied
at Yerevan Conservatory, where he also served for almost thirty years
on the faculty.  His honors include "Honory Artist of Armenia" and
Laureate of the First Transcaucasian Music Competition.  His performances
have included appearances at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center Concert
Hall.

Irina Kats is a piano solist and chamber player whom the Washington Post
has call a "splendidly able accompanist".  She graduated from Astrakhan
Conservatory and obtained post-graduate honors at the Kazan Conservatory.
In her role as a soloist, her signature pieces are Lizst's Sonata in b
minor and Pictures at an Exhibition.  Ms.  Kats moved from her native
Russia to the United States in 1996 and joined the faculty of the Levine
School in 1998.  She has appeared in such venues as the Embassy of
Austria, The Lyceum, and the Kennedy Center Concert Hall.

Larry Sherwood