University of Virginia Library

Towe's Debut

at the louder end of the
dynamic range.

In the third movement he
borrowed a trick from his idol,
Pablo Casals, by continuously
accelerating the tempo until
the tasteful regard for emphasis
at the very end. A bit more
contrast from the second
movement's solo harpsichord
interpolation by David Tetrault
might have been helpful,
however.

In the Ouverture Mr. Towe
brought off the over dotted
meter and the transitions
between slow and fast sections
splendidly; this was by far the
evening's best performance.
The character of each of the
dances in the work—which is
really a suite—was conveyed by
attention to details of rhythm,
and the playing of the
concertino group of oboists
Eric Ohlsson and Barbara
Hartley and bassoonist Erick
Ruud was precise and sensitive.

Mr. Tetrault redeemed
himself with his continuo
accompaniment to the final
work on the program, the
Cantata No. 70, "Wachet,
Betet, seid, bereit alle Zeit".
Mezzo-soprano Susan Knight
sang beautifully in her aria,
taken at a tempo that gave the
impression of repose without
resorting to any allegedly pious
but lugubrious dragging. Like
all Mr. Towe's interpretations,
it presented Bach as an intense
composer whose music, despite
its harmonic conservatism,
looks forward to the energy
and personalism of the
Romantic era which was to
follow him.