October 24, 2010

Musica Viva, a local chamber music group, begins its eighth season Friday with a program featuring music by Robert Schumann, Chopin, and Friederich Dotzauer. Both Chopin and Schumann were born 200 years ago this year. The concert will be presented at 7:30 pm Friday, October 29 at First Congregational Church in Fresno and again on Sunday, October 31 at 3:00 pm at the McDonald Hall Atrium on the campus of Fresno Pacific University. Admission to both concerts is free.

Music Critic Fresno interviewed cellist Dieter Wulfhorst by email this week. Wulfhorst teaches at Fresno Pacific University and plays often with the Fresno Philharmonic, in addition to being a founding member of Musica Viva.

MCF: Tell us about Musica Viva. This concert features a piano trio, but Musica Viva includes a wide variety of musicians.

Wulfhorst: Violinist Susan Doering and I are the founding members of Musica Viva and play in all of our concerts. In addition, we often invite good friends to join us for mixed ensembles. Pianist Stephen Thomas, who will appear with us this weekend, has performed with Musica Viva many times, including a set of concerts we did in Mexico. He is on the faculty of CSU Stanislaus but also teaches and performs regularly in China and elsewhere. We have been friends for many years, and he is always a lot of fun to collaborate with.

MCF: How does Schumann's piano trio compare or differ from some of the other great trios like the Tchaikovsky or the Mendelssohn?

Wulfhorst: The Schumann is not played as often as the Tchaikovsky or Mendelssohn trios. The individual parts are very awkward and it is difficult to put together. It’s an amazing composition though, and it has been recorded by the great masters of chamber music. Some of the sound effects are appropriate to Halloween. Schumann asks the string players to use a technique called “sul ponticello” which indicates that we are placing the bow on the bridge, creating an eerie sound. Schumann was a very experimental composer. His D minor trio is very dramatic. The slow movement is really a continuation of some of the ideas one can find in the late string quartets by Beethoven. I still don’t understand some of Schumann’s writing, but we are getting closer!

MCF: Chopin is well known as a master of the piano, a composer who managed to make that instrument sound like it was made for his music, rather than his music fitting the limitations of the piano. How did he do with the cello?

Wulfhorst: Chopin was friends with some of the great cellists of his time. He actually collaborated with the French cellist Franchomme in his music for piano and cello. Franchomme didn’t get any royalties though! It’s always difficult for the cellist to be heard over the piano because much of the range of the cello is in the middle where it’s easy to get covered, though he does explore the entire tessitura of the cello. This composition definitely sounds like Chopin, the use of rubato, the incredible melodies, the lyricism and tenderness combined by significant technical difficulties for both performers. The slow movement which is probably the shortest movement in the entire literature for cello and piano (except Webern!) is just beautiful.

MCF: Your wife, Susan Doering, plays the violin for Musica Viva. Tell us about her.

Wulfhorst: Susan Doering is the creative spirit of Musica Viva, suggesting interesting programs and appropriate titles for each of our concerts. We like to have a theme for each program. She has performed and recorded extensively all over the world.

MCF: Tell us something interesting about the duo by Dotzauer. What should we listen for?

Wulfhorst: The Dotzauer is pure entertainment for the audience. The listeners won’t have to be as involved as when they listen to the Schumann and Chopin works. Dotzauer is not a household name but he was one of the most important cello pedagogues of the 19th century. Composers such as Berlioz and Wagner praised his playing. The composition is simple and melodious. Musica Viva probably holds the record of the most works by Dotzauer featured in any chamber music series! We played another work by Dotzauer last season, a string quartet for violin, viola and two cellos. We always like to feature some standard works besides gems that we have discovered and would like to expose to our audiences.

The concert will be presented three times over the weekend. Details here.