Pierian Audition

There's generally a special air of excitement about musical contest. The Pierian's annual concerto auditions, held last Wednesday was true to form. The haphazard conglomeration of all kinds of instruments and music gave it the air of a variety show. A member of the audience can play the sometimes frustrating game of keeping his own scoreboard. When it's all over, he can praise or condemn the judges' decision.

The decision went to Judith Yeager who played the Schuman Piano Concerto. Her performance was indeed a striking one and will be fully discussed on this page when she appears with the Orchestra.

James Woods' rendition of the Copland Clarinet Concerto was one of the performances that impressed me most. Though written in 1947, the work is much in the spirit of many compositions composed in the 20's which experimented with assimilating jazz into symphonic writing. Its two movements contrast two features of the jazz clarinet style--the yearning poignancy of its extreme high register and the brashness of its strident declamation. Mr. Woods overcame every difficulty of this work with perfect assurance.

While the clarinet was put to the services of jazz, the saxophone was played like a symphonic instrument. James Powers, a freshman who has never taken a lesson with a professional saxophonist, gave an excellent example of the serious saxophone style now prevalent in France. Mr. Powers learned this style by listening to records. In addition to a flawless technique, he displayed a rich tone, occasionally enhanced by a discreet vibrato.

A unique feature of the audition was the premiere of two movements from a piano concerto composed by Joel Mandelbaum for the soloist, Ann Besser. The concerto is written in the same key (A) as two others performed on the program, the Liszt and the Schuman. And though Mr. Mandelbaum does not wholly shun the contemporary idiom, in spirit his work is much like those two showpieces of the Romantic era. Miss Besser's performance, by its technical perfection as well as its penetration of the music showed the work off to excellent advantage.