Israeli cellist performs music from S. America, Asia

By Eileen Wingard

Eileen Wingard
Eileen Wingard

LA JOLLA, California — Cellist Maya Beiser was the star of the show in the La Jolla Symphony’s impressive concert February 7 at Mandeville Auditorium. The gifted Israeli instrumentalist, dressed in a short black dress with long sleeves and high black boots, her wavy black tresses framing her beautiful face, did not look like the heavenly goddess she was described to be, but she played with earthly abandon like a force of nature, sometimes even stomping her booted foot along with her accented bow.

Azul , the opening work by the acclaimed Jewish-Argentinian Composer,  Osvaldo Golijov, was in four sections,  played without pause. In addition to the cello soloist, Accordionist Mark Danisovszky and two percussionists, Fiona Digney and Stephen Solook, constituted an “obbligato group.” The cello soloist, this obbligato group and the large orchestra provided the composer with an enormous palette of aural colors.

In the first section, Paz Sulfurica, there was an interesting accordion duet with cello. A myriad of percussion instruments brought South American flavor to the work. The percussionists’ drew our attention as they played their large variety of instruments.  In the final movement, Yrushalem, one of them even rotated a snake-like tube like a lariat. The trumpet fanfares suggested sounds of ram’s horns, the ancient instrument used in the synagogue for the Jewish High Holidays.  The work ended in a soaring climax.

Chinary Ung’s piece, Khse Buon, for solo cello, was in stark contrast to the large forces of the Golijov work. Ung utilizes many fascinating effects on the cello which Beiser executed with deft agility. Interspersed were fragments of Cambodian folk melodies. This vehicle allowed Beiser to display her skill with dynamics, going from delicate pianissimos to strident fortes.

An encore showcased conductor Steven Schick as a consummate marimba player. Mariel by Golijov was scored for cello and marimba and the two musicians seemed to enjoy performing this melodious work as much as the audience found pleasure in listening to it.

After intermission, the full force of the orchestra was back on stage with Carl Nielsen’s Inextinguishable Symphony, written at the height of  World War I. As with the Golijov piece, this four movement work was played without pause.  Tympanists were stationed at opposite sides of the stage, so, as with Golijov’s Azul , there was much to engage the eyes as well as the ears.

The tympanists projected the warring factions.

The orchestra, under Schick’s direction, played admirably. He controls his large forces with skilled efficiency. It is often hard to believe that this is not a professional group.

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Wingard is a retired violinist with the San Diego Symphony and a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts. Your signed comments may be posted in the space provided below or sent to eileen.wingard@sdjewishworld.com