Classically Speaking

Classical music: civilized, soothing, maybe a bit … stuffy and boring? 

Wait, no! Even if we dress up formally and sit quietly at concerts, classical music is full of passion and excitement, love, hate, reverence, humor, and all sorts of other feelings.

When Paul Helfrich wrote for us about why classical music matters in West Virginia, he discussed how classical music is important to us all as people:

“All music reflects, in some way, the human experience.  It’s one of the amazing ways that human beings express themselves, and record, interpret, question, and celebrate their human experience.”  

The musicians, as well as the music, confront less-than-refined sentiments.  There are rivalries and feuds lurking inside the even most mild-mannered looking orchestras and choruses.

Two very lovely-sounding instruments, the clarinet and the viola, can work together beautifully or struggle in bitter competition.  They’re seen as somewhat interchangeable by some composers, who have written pieces indicating they can be played by viola (or clarinet) or clarinet (or viola).  Brahms wrote two clarinet sonatas that he later reworked for viola – which was a better choice? As you might imagine, you get different answers from violist and clarinetists. 

So violist Sandra Groce and clarinetist Bob Turizziani from the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra are going to have it out: viola versus clarinet, in what they’re calling a classical cage match. 

Pianist Vicki Cavendish will accompany them and help keep the peace, while I’ll be calling the match as the concert narrator.  Of course, I may have my biases. 

It’s a silly and fun concept for a concert, but the music is going to be seriously good, with works by Debussy, Brahms, Enesco, Bruch, and Beethoven. 

If you’re looking for the classical side of FestiVALL or just a good clean fight, check out our concert Wednesday night at 7pm at the Christ Church United Methodist Church in Charleston.

The WV Symphony Orchestra blog has a post about the concert: "Cage Match Tonight."

Update: I had so much fun at the concert last night! I hope that all who attended did too.  Sandra, Bob, and Vicki all played beautifully.  We didn't have a program for the concert; it was all announced from the stage.  Want to hear the pieces that were played again or find more viola and clarinet music?  Here are the titles, with links to some good recordings:

Round 1: The Showy Concertpiece
Viola: Enesco, Concertpiece 

Clarinet: Debussy, Rhapsodie (with orchestra or with piano)

Round 2: The Romantic Sonata
Brahms, Sonata for Clarinet and Piano in E-flat Major, Op. 120, No. 2 

Brahms, Sonata for Viola and Piano in E-flat Major, Op. 120, No. 2

Round 3: Jokes
Instrument Jokes Web site 

Round 4: Collaboration
Bruch, Pieces for Clarinet, Viola, and Piano 

Round 5: The Grand Finale
Beethoven, Trio for Clarinet, Cello, and Piano 

Other viola and clarinet pieces mentioned:
Mozart, Kegelstatt-trio  

The Timber Flute Festival is going on right now at the Randolph County Community Arts Center in Elkins, West Virginia.  This week-long festival dedicated to making and playing wooden flutes is now in its third year.  They play many styles of music, including classical, traditional Irish, and Native American.

This weekend, I discovered a story that Jean Snedegar produced for WV Public Radio in 2007 about the first Timber Flute Festival.  Give it a listen; the music is beautiful and Snedegar makes you feel as if you’re there. 

If now you actually want to be there, here’s more information about the events going this week, including concerts most afternoons and evenings.


One of the organizers of the Festival is Wendell Dobbs, flute professor at Marshall University.  He spoke about his experience with different types of flutes and flute music, including early American classical music, in an interview last year.