The unique chamber music association, Camerata Pacifica, presents the Santa Barbara edition of its April program at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 20, in Hahn Hall on the campus of the Music Academy of the West.
Camerattans Paul Huang, violin; Lera Auerbach, pianist and composer; Warren Jones, piano; Ani Aznavoorian, cello; and Richard Yongjae O’Neill, viola will perform Lera Auerbach‘s “24 Preludes for Viola & Piano” (world premiere), and Franz Schubert‘s “Piano Trio No.1 in Bb-Major, Opus 99 (1827)”.
The Schubert trio, of course, requires virtually nothing in the way of exegesis. Of his two piano trios, both written in the last year of Schubert’s pathetically short life, this one has gotten, historically, by far the most play.
The other, “Opus 100,” languished in semi-obscurity until Stanley Kubrick made brilliant, haunting use of it in his 1979 film of Thackeray’s Barry Lyndon.
The fact that only a handful of people — basically, the musicians and the page-turner — will have heard Auerbach’s “24 Preludes” at this time will naturally preclude any knowledgeable ruminations on it by me, since I am not of their number.
I have heard several of her previous compositions, however, and admire them a great deal. Her frame of reference is clearly Shostakovich, without slavish imitation. Her piano tends to be percussive; her strings follow long, lyrical lines above.
It is generally a mistake, when discussing art, to dwell on the biography of the artist.
Auerbach’s origins are fairly exotic, and her life has been punctuated with high drama. Nevertheless, only the musical events have any bearing; the music must speak for itself, and in Auerbach’s case, it does so quite persuasively.
This concert is currently sold out, but if spaces should open up, know that single tickets are $56, and may be inquired after in person at the box office, by phone at 884-8410, or on line at http://cameratapacifica.org/season-tickets/order-tickets/.
There is also a performance at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 22, in Ventura. For ticket availability and venue information, call 884-8410.
— Gerald Carpenter covers the arts as a Noozhawk contributing writer. He can be reached at gerald.carpenter@gmail.com. The opinions expressed are his own.