The Oberlin Review
<< Front page News September 17, 2004

Conservatory professors light up Kulas in Baroque recital

Last Sunday, Oberlin Conservatory faculty members Catherina Meints and Lisa Goode Crawford performed Johann Sebastian Bach’s three sonatas for viola da gamba and harpsichord. Entering the stage in golden apparel, they were greeted with thunderous applause from a packed Kulas Recital Hall.

The sonatas were masterfully executed. While the faster movements were filled with energetic sparkle, the lyrical style of the slower movements was stunning. Both Meints and Crawford performed the technical, virtuosic passages with ease.

The balance was generally good, although the harpsichord occasionally overpowered the viola da gamba in the G Major sonata. Meints’ gamba-playing exhibited some lovely nuances and a beautiful tone. Her manner of improvising ornaments on a melody, such as in the slow movement of the g minor sonata, was particularly splendid. There was a wonderful sense of ensemble between Meints and Crawford, obviously a result of the long history they have had working together.

A special treat of the evening was Crawford’s performance of Bach’s Partita for Solo Harpsichord in D Major. Despite some wrong notes and memory problems, her performance was highly effective. The allemande and sarabande were filled with beautiful sounds and delicious rubatos. While some of her tempos were rather fast (especially the opening of the overture), she clearly articulated each moving line. Crawford ably demonstrated her intelligent interpretation of this masterwork for the keyboard.

Prior to the concert, Crawford announced that their performance was dedicated to the memory of Earl Russel, who died last week at the age of 82. Russel, a resident of Oberlin for the past 12 years, was a prominent influence on the Conservatory’s Historical Performance program.

An amateur harpsichord-maker, his collaborations with students and faculty resulted in some fine instruments and close friendships. Crawford played on one of Russel’s harpsichords in Sunday night’s performance.

In the end, Meints and Crawford were met with enthusiastic applause from an appreciative audience. Their performance not only recognized the legacy of Russel, but also confirmed the fine reputation of Oberlin’s historical performance department.
 
 

   

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