COVER STORY PETER B 0uNo]IAN rowsing the 04/05 season listings at the February '04 season launch, something had jumped out at me: an April 2005 concert featuring Beeth- May. Very important piece for "The Dance of the world it- me. Beethoven apparently once self. Defiance, wild joy, the wail stated, when asked, that it was of pain, love's transport, utmost oven's Opus 131 String Quartet, arranged for string orchestra by the greatest of all his works. bliss, grief, frenzy, riot, suffer- Certainly it is a remarkable and ing; then lightning flickers, thun- innovative creation, one that will ders growl." He laughs. Oundjian himself. TSO Possibly a nice starting point for a conversation, I thought, because of his career as first violinist with the Tokyo Quartet, a connection with Toronto also BY DAVID PERLMAN 1 spoke with Peter Oundjian in dating back to 1981, when he early August by phone. He was joined them. (They had been home in Weston, Connecticut, "a corning to the city, courtesy bit fried" after a trip from As- Music Toronto, since 1974.) pen, Colorado. "The flight from "There was a big fuss made Denver was fine, but they fly when he joined," recalls Jennifer these ten seaters out of Aspen Taylor, Music Toronto general and prefer to run them full. So manager. "He was fifteen years they cancel on one excuse or younger than the others, and not another till there's a crowd. And Japanese. But they loved him. you wait." He was a very exciting musician, capable of the perfect unison for Wi e'd met previously, which they were renowned, but briefly, at the TSO's also witty enough to set the cat 00415 season launch in among the pigeons, so to speak. February. With much fanfare They were, along with the Jui!- (literal and metaphoric) he had liard, the best; and I'd say in his gone from being "Music Director years with them they were at Designate" to the full-blown, their best. Just this past spring unhedged version of the thing. when the A very Fisher A ward Standing in the wings that day went to the Emerson String was Walter Homburger, who had Quartet, the first time it has gone given Oundjian his first major to an ensemble, the Emerson solo violin appearance, with the said, in accepting, that they TSO in 1981. "I was not inwished it had gone, before them, volved in the selection process to the Tokyo or the Juilliard." for music director," Mr. Hom- Digging a bit deeper after the burger said, "but I'm happy launch, I found the Op.131 again: about it. Peter is not only a gifton the program of his farewell ed musician, but he also is a appearance with the Tokyo String great communicator. I look for- Quartet in Houston Dec 6 1996. ward to many great concerts. " Worth asking about, indeed! G '' ood idea to discuss so, finally, we're talking, 131" he wrote back. and he's quoting, with "It was also on my relish and apparently from last program as Music Director memory, Wagner on the suhject of of Amsterdam Sinfonietta last the final movement of Op. 131. always fascinate us all. Mahler Your comment about the tradewas the one who first suggested off is interesting; gaining enorthat the late quartets of Beethoven mous power by risking intimacy were too powerful for just a and clarity. You learned the string quartet to play; he stated in latter as a chamber musician. 1899, when he took over the Can you salvage it? Vienna Opera, that these pieces would become a part of their In the case of this work, loss of repertoire. He did perform Op. clarity in sound picture can be 95 (not really a late quartet) and balanced by the occasional solo Schubert's Death and the Maiden recitative line. But, face it, clarity but seems never to have tran- in general has not been the scribed or performed the others." strong point of the symphony "I feel strongly that certain quar- orchestra since the late 19th centets work this way and others do tury. You have only to think of not. Many aspects of 131 are overpoweringly huge Mozart strengthened and broadened in the symphonic interpretations as an full string orchestra version, others example. These are generally are perhaps less personal in terms large orchestras with a heavy of sound picture, but that depends style pushing to overpower huge very much on the performance and halls. the choices of the transcriber. I try The way the TSO had to push in to retain the intimacy as much as the old RTH? possible by occasionally using solo voices; and to retain the clarity by Exactly. Right back to my first rehearsing in great detail; and mean- time hearing them in the new while to take full advantage of the hall, I found myself saying to the extraordinary power in moments or strings, you don't have to push. movements that require it, especial- Just play the sound you want. ly in the final movement which Wagner described as "the Dance of the world itself..." There's a longer quote I can give you when we actually talk." Can you say more about the path from chamber violinist to conducting? How do you get from Houston December 6 1996 CONTINUES PAGE 9 f"IDEX OF ADVERTISERS ADAM OSINSKI 41 DR. 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