Haskell Small Delivers “Huge” Recital

Distinguished Artist Concert & Lecture Series

By Richard D. Lynde, M.A.

Sunday, November 10 the Distinguished Artists Concert and Lecture Series continued its 29th season with a piano recital of the work of obscure Catalonian composer Federico Mompou (born in Barcelona in 1893 and died there in 1987), performed by Haskell Small, chairman of piano at the Washington, D.C. Conservatory of Music. This vigorous exponent of unknown music was on his “Journeys in Silence” tour, making fourteen identical recitals in six states. Small gave us a perfect rendition of Mompou’s four volumes of Musica Callada (‘quiet’ or ‘silent’ music), as he strung together the 28 little pearls on a golden chain, in about an hour, works composed from around 1959-74.

Federico Mompou wished to convey “the sounds of silence” (think Simon & Garfunkel) into the listener’s imagination. The overall effect of this quiet music was one of deep mysticism, an underlying belief in the power of God in Nature. While there were brief, violent outbursts from the keyboard, most of the music was childlike and profound –most unusual.

While the big, beautiful Yamaha CFX flagship concert grand is almost supernaturally easy to play (this writer tried it out briefly when it was first inaugurated at Cabrillo College), what strung the whimsical, sparse little pieces together so well was the intensity and “rightness” of interpretation set off via “the soul of the piano,” the pedaling by Haskell Small.

We all came away from this very quiet experience, with a very noticeable (if ineffable) contact “high” as we left the church, formerly the First Congregational Church of Santa Cruz, but now renamed the “Peace United Church of Christ,” an interesting coincidence with our program.

Earlier pianists in the series were Tanya Gabrielian, whose performance of a mixed program sounded too relaxed – until her final, snappy Bach encore: and the later Soheil Nasseri, whose immaculately crafted all-Beethoven lacked enough punch. But Haskell Small, playing this one set combined from an unknown composer, took an enormous risk and succeeded completely. He has recorded this work for all time now. And don’t be surprised if, when we hear him again (and I do hope so) in a couple more years, he will perform some (Old Father Bach) in whose work he was medaled in competition, and some of his own compositions, won him a first prize. But if you can’t wait, visit him on YouTube with Arvo “Pärt’s sublime “Für Alina,” it’s a free encore.

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Richard Lynde received his M.A. from Stanford in 1966, at which time he was an assistant professor of American literature at San Jose State University. He has taught English literature at Gavilan College and Chapman College and in the Pajaro Valley Union School District. Richard is a music lover and piano freak who first started reviewing around 1956 for the University of New Hampshire’s weekly newspaper. Now retired, Richard continues his interests in cooking, gardening, automobiles, music, photography, art and writing. Recently Richard has written concert reviews for The Aptos Times and currently lives in Watsonville.