Santa Cruz Sentinel from Santa Cruz, California • Page 68

12 Spotlight Santa Cruz Sentinel Friday, April 4, 1986 It's the 'where' that's new ducted the composer's "cantus to the Memory of Benjamin Britten." A Russian imigrant born in 1935, Paert has spent the last six years residing in Germany, where his work has gained sweeping popularity. This year's Festival will mark the largest single U.S. presentation of Paert's music, including a total of eight works. Six of them "Fur Alina," "Variazionen zur Gesundung von Arinuschka," "Wenn Bach Bienen gezuchtet Bach had been a beekeeper) "Arbos," "Stabat Mater" and "Te Deum" will be U.S. premieres, and his "Fratres II" and "Tabula Rasa" have not likely been audited by many festivalgoers.

This year's other composer-in-residence, William Bolcolm is known for music of congenial spirits and resonance. Bolcolm's wit and versatility with both serious and popular music styles give his music a distinctive appeal that should compliment the more serious tenor of Paert's work nicely. Among the works by Bolcolm to be presented are "Whisper Moon," "Three Ghost Rags," "Sonata No. 2," "Piano Concerto," "Symphony," "Etudes" and the U.S. premiere of "Fantasia Con-certante." Bolcolm's official status this season may be composer-in-resi-dence, but his bigger renown as accompanist to singer Joan Morris has not been overlooked.

The MorrisBolcolm team, whichg has sprung 11 different albums covering the American popular song tradition, will treat festival listeners to a joint recital of ol' favs by Gershwin, Porter, Rogers Hart and others. True to the festival's time-honored tradition, the music of Aptos composer Lou Harrison has a place in the series in fact, two of them. The tickets won't last till sun-up for the closing program which features Keith Jarrett performing the hometown premiere of Harrison's "Piano Concerto." Harrison's other contribution, the joyous "La Koro Sutro" will be paired with Paert's "Te Deum" in a concert presented 5 00 (jl (A Arvo Paert by the San Mateo Masterworks Chorale. There's much more of course. As the festival has repeatedly shown us, there's a lot you can do in two weeks.

There will be an evening of hardcore modernism in "Silicon Sounds," a concert mixing technological finds from Stanford's Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics with the hands-on virtuosity of Cabrillo Orchestra members. Those still timid about the Cabrillo Music Festival's change of time and place may find the tent a satisfying if not desirable alternative to the Cabrillo College Theatre. The tent can be heated prior to concerts and abundant parking is just steps away from the site. The outdoor pastoral charm that has made the San Juan Bautista Day so much a picnicker's fancy will be on band this year for each event. A special note to subrscribers; the San Juan Bautista concert this year will be reserved for season ticket holders and conversely, the Prelude Concert will be opened up to the public for the first time.

For more information call 476-9064 or write the Cabrillo Music Festival, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos, Ca. 95003. Keith Cabrillo Fest UCSC-bound By PHILIP COLLINS Sentinel Correspondent THE Cabrillo Music Festival is rounding the bend into its 23rd season in a most innovative way. It is, at least, the most ground-breaking way for the esteemed local cultural institution which has build its reputation on being adventurous. Surprisingly though, the surprises don't come in the area of programming this year.

The featured music by Maurice Ravel, Arvo Paert, William Bolcom and Lou Harrison is relatively mild, not likely to stir up dust. The roster of guest artists is as illustrious as ever, highlighted by premiere vocalists: Stuttgart Opera mezzo-soprano Milagro Vargas; soprano Renate Gola; mezzo-soprano Joan Morris and tenor Daniel Parkerson. Keyboard talents include 25 year old Marc-Andre Hamelin, winner of the 1985 Carnegie Hall International American Music Piano Competition along with a one-time showing by Keith Jarrett. Indeed, if controversy accompanies this season it will center more around the "where" and "when" of things than the "what." For its 1986 season the Cabrillo Music Festival is moving to the big top. Thats right, as in the UCSC campus no less.

This summer, in July rather than August, audiences can take in a picnic, a glass of wine and one of Santa Cruz's most panoramic bay vistas in between concerts atop the rolling hills beneath the university's east field house. Withstanding the modest inconvenience for South County con-certgoers, who for so long have enjoyed the Cabrillo Music Festival's close quarters, the new location offers some definite improvements over festival's original home-base in the Cabrillo College Theatre. For yean it's been all too clear that the festival has outgrown the Cabrillo College Theatre's seating capacity, and the hall's acoustic return never did the orchestra justice. The tent. Festival planners assure us, will change all that, providing a William Bolcom Jarrett Springs.

What didn't settle so well however, was that the Saratoga Festival's August dates conflicted with Cabrillo's regular time niche. In order to accommodate Davies' commitment to the Saratoga Festival, Cabrillo had to move its operations from late August to late July, a time when the Cabrillo Theatre is traditionally reserved for the school's summer musical production. Such a predicament made the need for a new venue especially acute. As Scholl pointed out, there were not that many options, "we either had to keep the date and loose our music director or change the dates and keep Dennis." Of course they chose the latter, which isn't at all surprising considering the stupendous critical response and attendance records that the festival has enjoyed during Davies' 13 year stint here. After all, Davies' extraordinary musical gifts are invaluable in themselves, while his podium charisma has made him a major box office draw for the festival.

Among its other achievements are the festival's coveted ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming, won for the past four years. Perhaps as a way of stabilizing an otherwize transitional period, Davies has concocted an especially agreeable repertoire, (particularly compared to last year's dissonant East meets West fest). While Ravel, Paert, Bolcom and Harrison each occupy very unique places in the 20th century picture, their art shares aesthetic ties, in that they aspire to the beautific in their music. In an age of wanton dissonance it is rare to find composers whose works are utterly contemporary and yet still warmly lyrical and sensually gratifying. Festival audiences were introduced to Paert's spellbinding orchestral craft two seasons ago at San Juan Bautista, when Davies con-.

60-percent increase in seating, excellent sight lines and improved acoustics. Music Director Dennis Russell Davies and other musicians who have performed in tents at other music festivals confirm that the move is a sound one. "Now, finally, the audience will hear what we on stage have been bearing all along," says Davies. According to Cabrillo Music Festival publicist Melissa Scholl. the decision to move was brought on by a number of unforeseen events.

"Some sort of change was forced upon us when Dennis accepted the position at Saratoga mean, you can't expect him to turn down an offer to lead one of the six best orchestras in America," she said. Knowing full well of Davies' mercurial ascent in the international conducting circuit, it came as no surprise to festival staff when he was invited to lead the legendary Philadelphia Orchestra during their annual summer retreat at Saratoga and Joan Morris Lvi' I Marc-Andre Hamelin.