U. concert to feature Cardenes

Violinist Andres Cardenes is this year's guest artist for the University of Utah's annual Boguslavsky Scholarship Concert Monday evening in Libby Gardner Concert Hall.

In a phone interview with the Deseret Morning News from his home in Pittsburgh, Cardenes said he was more than thrilled to be part of this tribute to the longtime Utah Symphony violinist and U. faculty member, who was also his friend. The two met during Cardenes' time in Utah.

And although he's been away from Utah for nearly two decades, he maintains close ties to the Beehive State. His wife's family lives here, and as recently as last June Cardenes was in Utah to take part in the inaugural Stradivarius Violin Competition as one of the judges, and also to perform.

For Monday's recital, where he'll be accompanied at the piano by frequent collaborator Rodrigo Ojeda, Cardenes has chosen a program heavy on the 20th century. There will be one exception, though: Mozart's Violin Sonata in B flat major, K. 378.

Cardenes chose a Mozart piece for a couple of reasons. "For one thing, Mischa loved Mozart," he said. "For the other, Mozart is a good palate cleanser."

The remainder of the program consists of Hindemith's Sonata in E major, Ysaye's "Chant d'Hiver," Lutoslawski's "Subito" and Prokofiev's Violin Sonata in D major. The Prokofiev is without question the best known of this group of pieces.

In choosing this particular program, Cardenes made sure it had some connection to Boguslavsky. "I wanted to play works that Mischa was connected or associated with," he said. "Also, I wanted to present at least one Russian composer," since Boguslavsky was Russian.

The only strictly personal selection is the Ysaye piece, Cardenes admitted. "That is a special pick of mine."

Ysaye was a celebrated violin virtuoso and composer in the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. His violin works place great demands on the performer but also have intrinsic musical merit that goes beyond the bravura writing. Yet they are almost never played today. "Hardly anyone knows the 'Chant d'Hiver,"' Cardenes said. "It's extraordinarily difficult but a very esoteric piece."

People shouldn't be alarmed that the program focuses on the 20th century, Cardenes said. "Except for the Mozart, of course, and perhaps the Ysaye — it was written in 1891 but actually sounds more modern — this is a 20th century recital.