THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 3, 1994 TAG: 9406010105
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 03B EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARLENE FORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940603 LENGTH: Medium
Maybe that's not always true. However, for the next program in the Community Concert Series, ``Timothy Lovelace and Esther Wang in Concert on Double Grand Pianos,'' it's the only way.
{REST} The public is invited to the free, dual piano concert at 8 p.m. Friday at Community United Methodist Church, 1072 Old Kempsville Road.
The recital is an annual event for Lovelace.
A young Virginia Beach musician, he grew up and studied with area teachers including Pat Curtis, Clifford Herzer and Harold Evans.
``This is my church,'' Lovelace said during a rehearsal break. ``I think the church would tar and feather me, if I didn't give a concert every summer vacation. But I want to. I played here often when I was growing up and these are the people who supported me then.''
After receiving his undergraduate and graduate degrees in piano performance from the University of Cincinnati, College Conservatory of Music, Lovelace is now completing his doctorate in performance at the State University of New York at Stony Brook where he is a student of Gilbert Kalish.
``But last year was probably the only year I didn't play. We were too busy getting married here,'' he said and smiled.
That explains the other head and two hands of the piano duo. Wang is his wife and co-artist on this concert.
``We like the two-piano repertoire. It's challenging. It's the same instrument, same timbres, but a different way of hearing,'' Wang said. ``And you get a more orchestral sound.''
``Because we are married, maybe we are more candid with each other when we are working together and get more done,'' Lovelace added.
Wang said, ``I like it best because we are very different and play differently.''
Continuing with a smile, Lovelace said, ``Sometimes we compromise - sometimes we just play differently.''
The two met at Cincinnati Conservatory where Wang also received her graduate degrees and is currently completing her doctorate in piano performance. Wang also teaches piano at the University of Wisconsin in Platteville, where Lovelace will join her this year to share the teaching and performing responsibilities. This includes chamber music, solo and more duo piano recitals.
The concert planned for Friday is an ``audience friendly'' program. It includes Darius Milhaud's ``Scaramouche,'' a suite for two pianos, whose last movement is a Brazilian samba; the first movement of the Bach Concerto in C minor and the Rachmaninoff Suite No. 2, Op. 17. Appropriately enough for a concert by young marrieds are some of the Brahms' ``Liebesleider Waltzes,'' songs of courtly love.
Lovelace is the son of Daniel and Glenda Lovelace of Virginia Beach and a graduate of Kempsville High School.
by CNB