Wednesday, Decembers, 1984/THE BLUE BANNER/7
Hungprian quartet gets big 'Hurrah!'
By Judith Kutt
Guest reviewer
The Kodaly Quartet from
Hungary, sponsored by the
UNCA. Ch^ber Music Series,
presented a captivating
performance Friday night
in Lipinsky Auditorium.
The program opened with
Mozart’s delightful Stzing
Quartet: Hb« 14 in 6 oBjor.
The audience was inmedi-
ately enraptured by the
group’s finesse and imoaac-
ulate sense of ensemble;
and the players obviously
took great joy in produc
ing such lovely sounds.
The serene mood which
the players set in the
first movement prevailed
throughout the evening.
The second movement of
the Mozart piece, a minu
et, showed the group's
tasteful use of dynamics,
and they carried it off
with elegance.
The following movement,
"Andante cantabile," was
also lovely. By this time
it was obvious that these
excellent musicians went
to great lengths to care
fully plan out each and
every phrase and part of
the music.
The last movement, a
high-spirited allegro that
opened with a fugue,
caused instant enchant
ment. The group produced
an incredible variety of
colors in this single
movement.
Schubert’s Quartet No. 9
in G ntDor, a posthumously
published work, was more
serious in nature.
The quartet performed
the first movement with
much deliberation, and the
pianissimos in the next
movement were excrutiat-
ingly beautiful. Excellent
intonation was apparent at
all times.
In the finale, however,
I became more aware that
the tone of the first
violinist, Atilla Falvay,
was occasionally slightly
thin. This flaw, seemingly
caused by his bow tech
nique, was usually covered
by his lovely vibrato.
Although his ensemble
playing was excellent,
Falvay often seemed remote
from the rest of the
group. I would have liked
to have seen more eye con
tact between him and the
other two players.
This was also true of
the cellist, Janos Devich,
but not of the other two
players, violinist Tamas
Szabo and violist Gabor
Fias.
Debussy's String Quartet
in G miaor. Op. 10 opened
the second half of the
program.
Though it was well-per
formed, the quartet’s
highly-defined playing
seemed almost a hindrance
to the interpretation of
this work. The dreany
quality of Debussy was of
ten lost by the group’s
overly-careful approach.
The performance was re
deemed, however, by sever
al factors; the perfect
intonation and rich sound
in the powerful chordal
sections in the first
movement; the utterly en
joyable pizzacato work in
the second; and the fan
tastic build-up of energy
towards the end of the
third.
By the last movement,
the musicians began show^
ing slight signs of fa
tigue which actually bene
fited the performance. The
rigidity mellowed, and
their enforced relaxation
smoothed any sharp edges
that had been apparent.
This led to a lovely
quality that should have
prevailed throughout the
piece. In this movement,
also, Devich became more
visually involved with the
other players than before,
which was enjoyable to
view.
At the end, the audience
presented the Kodaly Quar
tet with a sincere, if un-
spontaneous, standing ova
tion, which encouraged the
musicians to offer an en
core—the third movement
of Bartok's sixth string
quartet.
This spritely and comi-
cally^issonant selection,
filled with folk-like
melodies, was reproduced
in a way that only musi
cian's froni Bartbk's na
tive Hungary, such as
these from Budapest, could
have done.
Several special effects
surprised and enthralled
the audience, and the per
former's precision again
paid off.
. Overall, the concert was
a huge success. One lis
tener even remarked that
this was the best music he
had heard in years.
Radio station
Continued from page /
radio station. The audi
ence was small so the ex
perience was not as
great."
UNCA made the decision
to give the license away
before the communications
major began, according to
Dr. Alfred Canon Jr., di
rector of university rela
tions .
The transition began
about five years ago when
a group of citizens (Wes
tern Carolina National
Public Radio, Inc.) banded
together to complain about
WUNF's programming. The
Federal Communications
Comnissioo issued an ulti
matum to the station to
make iiqprovements within
three years.
Last spring former Chan
cellor William E. High-
smith agreed to give the
license to WCNPRI. The
ownership changed in late
summer, with the call let
ters and schedule change
conqpleted in early
October.
"I think the university
did not want to be both
ered with running a radio
station," said Davies.
"At the time the univer
sity did not feel it had
the finances to make the
needed in^rovements and it
would have to be done with
private funds," said
Canon.
However, UNCA is still
backing the new station
heavily, and is planning
to soon provide it
with a much larger, more
modem facility.
"The university fur
nishes the studio, utili
ties, and maintenance. The
station pays for the tele
phone, salaries, and oper
ating costs," said Canon.
In June of 1985, UNCA
will begin renovating a
section of Lipinsky* s lo
wer level for a new WCQS
studio. The new studip is
part of a $250,000 state-
funded renovation of Li
pinsky which should be
completed in the fall of
1985.
The state granted the mo
ney with the stipulation
that a substantial portion
of it be used to build a
new studio.
Brown said the benefits
of a NPR station outweigh
the costs.
"The best universities
across the nation have
National Public Radio sta
tions on their can5>us,"
said Brown.
Of course these univer
sities generally provide
an alternate on-the-air
training station for
broadcast students.
WCQS is still working to
achieve NPR status within
an 18-month deadline.
"Becoming a NPR station
would mean increased ex
penses, but it would also
give us access to a lot of
national programming,"
said Warner.
Warner is also hoping to
increase the station’s
current 110 watts by about
10,000 watts.
The community has cer
tainly e3q>ressed their
pleasure with WCQS.
During a recent on-the-
air fund raising drive
listeners donated $23,500,
which was $13,500
more than the station's
goal.
Canon agrees the transi
tion improved the station.
"It is a better station
than ,two years ago in
terms of quality and scope
of prograimning," continued
Canon.
The future of students
and WCQS remains uncer
tain.
"We don’t know what is
ahead in the way of oppor
tunities for students,"
said Brown.
Staff Photo by Sylvia Hawkins
MIKE HARNKE, fomer Satan
ic priest) and converted
Christian, broq^t his un
usual brand of testimonial
conedy to DNCA's Justice
Gym Friday ni£^.
Dance!
The Iftiiversity Program
Board will host the annual
UNCA Christmas Dance in
the Highsmith University
Center on Fri., Dec. 7,
from 9 p.m. until 1 a.m.
THE MAXX, a Top-40 dance
and show band from Atlan
ta, will entertain for the
evening.
Admission to the semi-
formal/formal dance is $2
for students, $3 for fac
ulty/staff/alumni, and $4
for guests.
Alcoholic beverages are
limited to 12 oz. of beer
or 4 oz. of wine per hour
per student 19 years or
older. Proof of age is re
quired.
nRMMPERS
TYPED $2|o
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