The Beverly Hills Outlook
A Biweekly Review of the Arts and Culture in Southern California

Circulation: 610,396                                                                         February 12th, 2004

MEETING EDUARD SCHMIEDER & FRIENDS
BY CHARLES LONBERGER

The Beverly Hills Outlook was treated to   the privilege of hearing one of the greatest violinists of our lifetime perform at the Municipal Gallery in Beverly Hills, when, on January 31st, Eduard Schmieder and two of his friends, eminent musicians Nathaniel Rosen on cello and Diane Andersen on piano, performed a recital of rarely played chamber music.

The pieces selected for the body of the main programme are rarely heard for two reasons. One, they are poor compositions: Chausson’s Piano Trio, which opened the program, was all texture, thus very superficial.  The second piece, Bartok’s Sonata for Violin and Piano, at least had the virtue of being based on indigenous folk music.  The real music was saved for the encores, Brahms’ energetic Hungarian Dance and a transcription of Rachmaninoff’s mysterious and timeless “Vocalise.”

The other reasons the Chausson/Bartok pieces are so seldom played, is that they required superior technical skill to execute.  While both Ms. Andersen and Mr. Rosen suffered from under rehearsal, Mr. Schmieder was a marvel to behold.  His left hand has an unbelievable reach and his fingering was wondrous to watch.  The integrity of his musicianship was testified to by his restraint in employing such a to-die-for technique. Rather than cheap effect, showing off for the sake of it, as happens all too often in these sorts of events, Schmieder performed the seemingly impossible only when required, and that was it.  It was a rare display of true – and appropriate – musicianship.  Watching and hearing him play was like witnessing a sort of magic.

Generally, these days, Schmieder has adapted the pose of a pedagogue, teaching the most talented of the next generation his art.  Fortunate were those who watched the Master play.  Gifted as his students are, there is none better at his craft.