UW Gazette, June 12, 1996 Conducted by Jan Narveson June 1: The KWS Pops concerts wound up the KWS season with guest artist Connie Kaldor, folk singer, and conductor Mark Laycock, who has recently become Music Director of Orchestra London, down the street. On this occasion, Ms. Kaldor pretty much dominated the proceedings, but the orchestra on its own was heard in a few pieces, all on the common theme of the Prairies. Richard Hayman's Pops Hoedown was the folksiest and perhaps the most effective of them; Howard Cable's Snake Fence Country was similar in being essentially a pastiche of old country tunes. McCauley's Saskatchewan Suite was written to be a movie sound track about that province; we felt it missed the boat (wagon?), rather. The McMullin Prairie Sketches likewise didn't do justice to its subject. But Mr. Laycock did justice to them all; he seems a promising conductor. He was also most ingratiating with the guest artist, who is a personality with a pretty good line of patter, especially when it comes to depicting her roots back on the prairie. It was rather fun, and despite the banter, we detected a genuine affection for those regions. As to her modern folk songs, they were rather of a muchness. Her voice has that mod-folk in-your-face quality, and she can conjure up lots of volume at considerable range as needed. Either you like this sort of thing or you don't; alas, we aren't great fans of it. But the audience evidently was, for she got a standing ovation. Insofar as it was used, our orchestra sounded fine, as always, and in the orchestra- only selections there was ample material to bring out their professional calibre, which is very high. Interesting evening, in its way, and a success. June 5: Once in a while, it has to happen: KWCMS's intended pianist, Sergei Pavlov, came down ill and as the news came to the organizers late Monday night, there was no hope of substitution; they hope to have him later, perhaps at July's end. Friday: WindFest 1996 again offers 9 concerts, as last year. We managed to get to the opening event at WLU and a good thing, too; it would seem that they forgot to tell the world about this one, and the score or so of us on hand (including ushers) got lots of practice clapping up a storm for the efforts of the roughly equal number of very talented wind players, who presented a hefty program for a first day, after not much time together: Beethoven's Octet, "Op. 103" (actually an early work) and the strange but lovely Rondino, and then the two great Mozart octet Serenades, K. 375 and 388. The two Mozarts benefited from the last-minute entry of coach Jonathan Fisher, oboe, subbing for one of the students who withdrew on short (that is, no) notice. Fisher's beautiful sound and ample technique raised the calibre of the Eb work pretty heftily. His student colleague Kristen LaPointe has come along well since her appearance last year, but was not as secure as he in the K. 388, wherein she played the first oboe part. And in general, the workshop players sounded very well, with the occasional technical glitch, and a certain lack of smoothness compared to their professional coaches. Which is a major compliment, when one thinks of it. Great program, well played, empty house. Pity! Saturday: The next WindFest event was at the KWCMS Music Room, whose large-living-room ambience suits these ensembles very well. This program benefited from works by two lesser-knowns: three horn Trios by Anton Reicha, friend and contemporary of Beethoven, gave the young players plenty of technical challenge, and they performed very well indeed, with impressive sound and only the odd missing or muffed note. Franz Krommer, another Czech (1759-1831), provided a quite interesting Partita in c, with a last movement enlivened by hunting-horn themes and lots of good-natured energy. Then came one of the hoped-for two Mozart Divertimenti for sextet (two oboes, horns, bassoons) - the other scratched owing to the aforementioned personnel disaster. Though not great Mozart, that composer's class shines through in these charming pieces, and the performers took to it admirably, give or take a missing bar or so from the odd player. But Beethoven's delightful Sextet, "Op. 71" (but dating from pre-Op. 1 times), for two clarinets, horns and bassoons, proved the hit of the evening, with solid playing from Virginia Lyons, of Community Orchestra fame, and partner Craig Romanec in the important clarinet parts, and good negotiation of the wicked horn parts by Stacy Allison and Cindy De Simone. As the previous night, just a hint or two of less than wholly smooth ensemble and a bit of phrasing that could have been more artistic, plus minor technical shortcomings, kept this out of the fully professional class. In fact, it was a ball! Too many conflicts kept us away from the Guelph Spring Festival activities, alas, and from Sunday's winds concert. Forthcoming: Wednesday, June 12: At the Guelph Festival, a Choral Celebration at St. George's Church, with the Exultate Singers and the Elora Festival Singers. 1-800-665-3212 for tickets. Thursday and Friday: Jazz in the Loft (in the Garden/Wilson Streets area) at the Guelph Festival, 8:00, with Ramee Lee, jazz vocalist. Friday: The KWCMS WindFest concert moves to Friday this time, with two Mozart divertimentos (for sure, this time!), K. 252, 213; Beethoven's strange but enjoyable Quintet for oboe, bassoon, and 3 horns; Georg Druschetzky (1745-1819), Partita #2, provides interest in the out-of-the-way sector; and a Schubert Octet (not the Octet, but an early one for woodwinds only). $10 regular, $7 student/senior. Tickets for KWCMS events from UW box office, Reader's Ink and WordsWorth Bookstores, or call 886-1673; available at door also. Saturday, June 15: At WLU, the second of their WindFest concerts, but again we have no program. Tickets at a mere $8/$5 though. Also Saturday: At the Guelph Spring Festival, Martin Beaver leads the Festival Orchestra in a program of chamber orchestra music that should be the hit of the festival. Sunday: Winds in the Woods portion of WindFest offers Mozart's magnificent Octet, K. 388 in c; Salieri, Armonia della Notte; Haydn, Partita in C; Hummel, Octet; Mozart Divertimento K. 227. At Langdon Hall (where picnic facilities prior to the concert are available; refreshments served). Tickets are $15 (st/sr $10) from Langdon Hall, Tuesday, June 18: At KWCMS Music Room, the K-W Community Orchestra Players in their annual chamber music evening. Many musicians from the orchestra perform in sev eral combinations - string quartets by Haydn and Mozart, an aria by Handel, clarinet music by Mendelssohn; and conductor/pianist Fabio Mastrangelo plays Chopin. Proceeds support the Orchestra. $10 (st/sr: $7) Tickets available as for June 14. June 21: WindFest's WLU programs conclude; this program is said to include the fabulous Dvorak Serenade for Winds; no other details. June 22: WindFest programs at the Music Room conclude with Mozart's sextet divertimenti K. 270, 240; at last, a piece by Haydn, the Partita in f (Octet); Weber's Adagio & Rondo (sextet); Myslivicek, Partita - this octet is said to be a major find. June 23. The Winds in the Woods performances at Langdon Hall, Cambridge, conclude with Druschetsky's Partita, Krommer's Octet, Op. 79; and the incredible Mozart Serenade in Bb, K. 361 for 13 winds, which is the crowning glory of the entire wind literature, of all time. Prices, tix as for June 16. Advance notices of three major KWCMS concerts at the end of June: Wednesday, June 26: Irshad Khan, sitar - a return engagement by demand by this amazing musician, whose spell- binding mastery of this exotic instrument is scarcely equalled anywhere. Last year's concert left a roomful of people in ecstasies! With tablas. Sunday, June 30: The internationally famed and locally much admired pianist Janina Fialkowska teams with the Penderecki Quartet in Brahms's Quintet in f, Op. 34. This is a "dream team" concert which every chamber music lover should comes miles to hear. On the other half of the program, Ms. Fialkowska plays several piano pieces from her new CD-in-the-making - Prokofiev, Diabolical Suggestion; Poulenc, Intermezzo, Presto; Henselt, Etude; Paderewski, Nocturne; Taussig, Fantasy. Early reservation advised, 886- 1673. [A+]: $23/sr $18/st $15 (students at-door-only, $13, space permitting.) July 3: Daniel Lichti, baritone; Janina Fialkowska, piano One of the world's great lieder duos is about to make another recording. We'll hear them in songs of Schumann, Brahms, and some of the French literature, including Faure, Dupark, and Ibert's enchanting cycle, "Don Quichotte".