The State from Columbia, South Carolina • 51

The State COLUMBIA SOUTH CAROLINA Arts SUNDAY, APRIL 6, 2003 PAGE The life and legacy of Robert Ochs toll URING months, among THE death arts PAST has supporters SIX taken a in Columbia. Collector Mark Coplan, who amassed several hundred works by South Carolina artists, many of them largely unknown, died in September at age 56. Ambrose Hampton an art collector who served on the boards of the Spoleto Festival USA, the Columbia Museum of Art and Columbia Music Festival Association, passed away in December. In late March, another important figure in the arts died Robert Ochs. Bob Ochs was a diminutive man with a distinctly nasal voice and a wry but genuine smile.

He looked like the retired history professor that he was given to tweed jackets and old-fashioned eyeglasses. Still, Ochs "was not a shrinking violet," said Philip Mullen, a Columbia-based artist and retired USC professor who met Ochs in 1970. He can recall many a party where Ochs was the oldest person there by 20 years. "Everyone kept inviting him, which tells you something," Mullen said. "He was an amazing man," said Bill Bodine, chief curator of the Columbia Museum of Art from 1995 to 2002.

"I don't think the general community was quite aware of the breadth of his interest and knowledge." "From the day I arrived in Columbia, Bob was around," said Bodine, director of the Frick Museum and Historical Center in Pittsburgh. "He was on the collections committee, and when his health declined, he wanted to resign. I told him he couldn't. He was too valuable." Art World Jeffrey Day (803) 771-8518 was too valuable." "It's a picture of a young man Ochs moved to Columbia in holding a bird, and it looks like 1946 to teach history at USC he's about to squeeze it," Ochs which he did for 30 years. He said.

was involved with the Columbia That pick, showing a deep Museum of Art from its founding knowledge of art and a sense of in 1950 and wrote the first, and humor, was Robert Ochs. 'Bob's Pipe' by Philip Mullen, a 1972 portrait of Robert Ochs, who died in March Classical reviews Beethoven's nuances of light and dark By WILLIAM W. STARR Staff Writer TROM BEETHOVEN VIOLIN sonatas to Beethoven piano sonatas, it's evident that outstanding classical recordings may be found among the latest releases as well as the back catalogs. For example: BEETHOVEN: COMPLETE VIOLIN SONATAS. Augustin Dumay, vio- words, they are just right, catchlin; Marie Joao Pires, piano.

DG ing Beethoven's nuances of light 471 495-2 (3 CDs, 234 minutes): It's and dark with assurance. Beautiall about partnership. Sure, musi- fully recorded, their set now comes cianship, technical authority and with the highest recommendation. communication are vital, but when you're performing something like HANDEL: MUSIC FOR THE ROYAL the Beethoven violin sonatas, FIREWORKS; WATER MUSIC. you've also got to have an intimacy Boston Baroque conducted by with your playing partner.

That's Martin Pearlman. Telarc 0594 (73 what so remarkable about the minutes): Yet another recording of teaming of Dumay and Pires; they Handel's most popular instruseem to connect down to almost mental works? Yes, but hold on a the same breath. It's inspiring, and moment: These are so fresh and the results. attentively played as to merit inso are These newly recorded perfor- clusion among the most enjoyable strike strongly charac- of the many couplings of this mumances a terized middle between the sic. The "Water Music" includes ground exuberance of some duos and the fragile reticence of others.

In other SEE CLASSICAL PAGE E5 only, history of the museum. In the 1950s, Ochs struck up a friendship with an art student named Jasper Johns. Johns didn't stay at the university long, but by 1960 he was one of the hottest artists in the world and remains so. The two remained friends for the rest of Ochs' life. As an early 85th-birthday present, the artist recently sent a print titled "8-5." In 1999, Johns donated a group of 25 prints by himself, Robert Rauschenberg, Claes Oldenburg, Josef Albers and others to the Columbia Museum in honor of Ochs.

Ochs bequeathed about 20 works, most works on paper, to the museum. Among them are pieces by Johns, Moses Soyer, Mark Tobey, Sam Gilliam and Cy Twombly. At the end of April, an exhibition of some of these pieces will go on display at the museum in an exhibit honoring Ochs. It was at the museum that I would generally run into Ochs. During the past few years, he had a condition that caused his body to produce an excess of red blood cells.

The treatment was old-fashioned bloodletting. He seemed amused by this. My favorite memory of Ochs came when I was working on a story about artworks that people visit again and again. Ochs, who knew many artists and traveled the world, picked a piece from the Columbia Museum of Art: "Boy in Red," created in 1575 by Santi de Tito. "It's a picture of a young man WIS WLTX MACH ROB STATE In the catbird's seat WIS sits on top and it's up to others to knock it down olina at just about any television By DOUG NYE Television Editor convention or meeting anywhere in the country, and WIS' A TELEVISION land- name will quickly come up," he scape cluttered with so said.

"Many look at them as a many options, WIS has ac- model for success." with its news- Lloyd Segal, director of casts what only a handful of lo- NBC affiliates relations, says cal stations around the country WIS is one of NBC's strongest have managed to do stay on allies. top. "They're a midsize market That's where WIS has been station that acts like a major- Mel Stebbins, Rich O'Dell, since it signed on in November market station," Segal said. WIS general manager WLTX general manager 1953. Sure, being on the more "That's why they've been on powerful VHF band gave WIS top for so long.

a big advantage at the begin- "We have about 10 affiliates weekday noon newscast four come close to the performance ning, but that doesn't explain we consider outstanding part- times. of WIS. why it has won every key news ners in helping us gather news. But in the key competitive Chattanooga's top-rated time slot those in the All are in major markets except periods 6, 7 and 11 p.m. 6 p.m.

newscast attracted 15 evenings for 50 years. for WIS." the story has remained the percent of its households; the WIS proved its dominance It isn't as if no one has tried same, with WIS notching vic- winner in Syracuse, N.Y., drew again in the most recent ratings to challenge WIS' supremacy tory after victory. 12 percent. The top-rated 6 period, compiled by Nielsen in the Midlands. Price is impressed not only p.m.

newscast in Charleston avMedia Research in February. Five years ago, Gannett with WIS' wins but also with the eraged 14 percent, and the one In the 6 p.m. news time slot, Broadcasting bought CBS af- size of its audience. He cited the in Greenville had 10 percent. WIS attracted 62,068 viewing filiate WLTX-TV 19 and quickly 6 p.m.

newscast, which attracted Even the fact that Columhouseholds (an 18 rating); began to boost the station's im- 17 percent of TV households in bia's television audience has WLTX attracted 37,906 house- age. It expanded the facilities, November. changed hasn't affected WIS' holds (an 11 rating). built a set and lured meteorol- "To get those kinds of num- reign. Thousands of new peoWIS also prevailed at 7 ogist Jim Gandy away from bers in a day when the televi- ple with no longtime station and 11 p.m.

WIS, where he had worked for sion audience is so splintered is loyalties have moved to the Hank Price, senior fellow 14 years. quite an accomplishment," he Midlands, and many seem to for television studies at North- Add to that a renewed em- said. "I doubt many newscasts be watching WIS. western University's Media phasis on local news, and in other cities like Columbia get "What happens is that a Management Center, said the WLTX appeared poised to those kind of ratings." strong, dominant station sort accomplishments of WIS were make a serious run at grabbing OTHER STATIONS of perpetuates itself," said Dan well known in national broad- new viewers. WLTX did make Modisett, general manager of cast circles.

a slight dent in WIS' armor, Indeed, not many other mention South Car- winning the ratings race for tions in similar markets can SEE TV PAGE E7.