
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 11, 1992                   TAG: 9203110266
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: E-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: SETH WILLIAMSON
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

ARTSOUNDS PERFORMANCE RELIES ON PERCUSSIVE RANGE

The finest composer ever to emerge from the percussion section of an American orchestra was the guest artist Tuesday night in the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra's ArtSounds concert at Roanoke College's Olin Hall Gallery. Four works by William Kraft were performed by guest artist Thomas Akins and other local performers, including a piano reduction of Kraft's award-winning "Concerto for Timpani."

Percussionists - let's face it - don't get no respect from the rest of the orchestra. (Joke told by an area vocalist Monday: "Q: What does a timpanist say when he's not playing? A: `And will you have french fries with that, sir?' ") Both Kraft and Akins (a 1961 graduate of William Fleming High School) alluded to the relatively small expressive potential of the banging instruments and the reputation of those who play them as knuckle-dragging troglodytes.

But Kraft is a stereotype-busting composer of unmistakeable force and originality. His "Contextures II: The Final Beast," in its scope, power and brilliant choice of texts invites comparison with Benjamin Britten's "War Requiem" and ranks as the most eloquent anti-war statement from an American composer in many a decade. The composer's works are increasingly available on compact disc, with a Harmonia Mundi release due later this year.

Three of the four works on Tuesday night's program were on the spiky side. Timpanist Akins began with "Corrente II," a work for timpani, cymbals and side drum based on the ancient dance form of the courante. Though interesting rhythmically, the melodic content of the piece was understandably pared to the bone and I found it a rather dry husk to chew on.

Similarly, the improvisational "Kandinsky Variations" for violin, percussion and piano brought to mind Maurice Ravel's cautionary remark about music that is "all brains and technique." Kraft conceived the notion of reading a painting by the artist Vasily Kandinsky as a musical score. With RSO conductor Victoria Bond at the piano, Kraft at the timpani and RSO concertmaster James Glazebrook on violin, the painting was interpreted with different values arbitrarily assigned to color, size and shape. It was a clever idea, but intellectually top-heavy.

Kraft's "Episodes" for violin and piano was sinewy and strong music that demanded close listening - in fact, it is the kind of piece that needs to be heard several times. There were some impressive moments, such as the ending of the middle movement, when a sustained note from James Glazebrook's violin disappeared into a gray chordal wash from Teresa Erlich's piano.

The "Concerto for Timpani" which ended the night was an undeniably major work. How did the piano reduction work? Well, it was better than not hearing the work at all, but it deprived listeners of a certain degree of the orchestral version's coloristic aspects. Teresa Erlich did a yeoman job with the difficult piano part and timpanist Akins drained the last drop of color and timbre from his instruments. Beginning with whisper-light tones struck by combination felt-and-leather gloves and moving on to mallets, Akins (who commissioned the piece) delivered a strong and dramatic performance that called on every technique in the timpanist's repertoire.

Seth Williamson produces feature news stories and a classical music program on public radio station WVTF (89.1 FM) in Roanoke.

by CNB