Piano Man/Piano Woman

by Gerald Carpenter

WATTS HAPPENING? The great, commanding pianist
André Watts, who became a superstar at 16 and has
glowed ever more brightly during the 40 years since Leonard
Bernstein chose him to solo in a New York Philharmonic
Young Person’s Concert, is playing a recital at 8 p.m.
tonight (Thursday, May 18) in UCSB’s Campbell Hall.

Watts’s program will include: W. A. Mozart,
Rondo in D Major, K. 485 and Rondo in A Minor, K.
511; Ludwig Beethoven, Sonata in D Major,
Op. 10, No. 3; Franz Schubert, Drei
Klavierstücke, D. 946; Frederick Chopin,
Étude, Opus 25, No. 7; Nocturne, Opus 27, No. 1;
and Ballade No. 2 in F Major, Opus 38; Maurice
Ravel, selections from Miroirs; and
Claude Debussy, Danse.

For tickets and other information, call UCSB Arts & Lectures
at 893-3535.

Watts will teach a Corwin master class with UCSB piano students,
from 10 a.m. until noon on Friday, May 19, in Karl Geiringer Hall
in UCSB’s music building. You will hear Watts talk about playing,
while Vienna-born Philipp Richardsen performs
Franz Liszt’s Concert Paraphrase on
Rigoletto and Sonia Tripathi gives her all in
Ludwig Beethoven’s Bagatelles, Opus 126. Did I say that
this master class is free and open to whomever can get there? Well,
it is.

Another great pianist, Warren Jones, returns to
Santa Barbara on Friday, May 19, joining Camerata Pacifica
musicians Jennifer Frautschi, violin;
Donald McInnes, viola; and Felix
Fan, cello; in a performance of Johannes
Brahms’s Piano Quartet No. 2 in A Major, Opus 26. Whether
you go to Victoria Hall Theater at 1 p.m. or 8 p.m., you’ll hear
the Brahms. If you go at 8 p.m., however, you will also hear
Wolfgang Mozart’s sublime Quintet for Clarinet and Strings in A
Major, K. 581, played by Bil Jackson, clarinet;
Frautschi and Nurit Pacht, violins; Donald
McInnes, viola; and Felix Fan, cello. For tickets and more
information about this and other Camerata Pacifica concerts, call
884-8410.

But, wait! Yet another dazzling pianist comes to us at 3 p.m. on
Saturday, May 20, in the Unitarian Society Sanctuary. Betty
Oberacker, whom I recently hailed as an “ideal”
interpreter of Mozart, will do just that, performing two Mozart
piano concertos — Concerto No. 20 in D Minor, K. 466 and
Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K. 467, “Elvira
Madigan” — with a special chamber ensemble led by Emil
Torick, consisting of Mary Beth Woodruff
and Torick, violins; Tom Turner, viola;
Ervin Klinkon, cello; Nancy
Chase, bass; Linda Holland, flute;
Bruce Walker, oboe; Elise Unruh,
bassoon; and Julie Callahan, horn. Impossible as
it sounds, this is a free concert, like most Santa Barbara Music
Club events, and the public is cordially invited.

Finally, for those who prefer talent spotting, the following
recitals by UCSB students are scattered throughout the weekend. All
are free of charge.

∗ Patrick Rappleye, horn, in a
bachelor of music senior recital. 6:30 p.m., Friday, May 19, in
Music Room 1145.

∗ Eric Smith, tuba, in a
bachelor of music junior recital. Noon, Saturday, May 20, in Karl
Geiringer Hall.

∗ Kelli Johannesen, horn, in a
master of music recital. 3 p.m., Saturday, May 20, in Karl
Geiringer Hall.

∗ Zachary Bertges, horn, in a
bachelor of music junior recital. 6 p.m., Saturday, May 20, in Karl
Geiringer Hall.

∗ Sonia Tripathia, piano, in a
doctor of music recital. 8 p.m., Saturday, May 20, in Karl
Geiringer Hall.

∗ Juan Aguayo, bass trombone,
in a bachelor of music junior recital. 11 a.m., Sunday, May 21, in
Music Room 1145.

∗ Scott Unfried, composition,
in a bachelor of arts senior recital. 2 p.m., Sunday, May 21, in
Music Room 1145.

∗ Sarah Broomell, piano, in a
doctor of music recital. 8 p.m., Sunday, May 21, in Karl Geiringer
Hall.

∗ Helen Park, clarinet, in a
master of music recital. 5 p.m., Sunday, May 21, in Lotte Lehmann
Concert Hall.

∗ Warner Iverson, guitar, in a
bachelor of music senior recital. 7 p.m., Wednesday, May 24, Karl
Geiringer Hall.