Cellist blends popular and less-familiar works

Viktor Uzur believes the key to a successful chamber-music festival lies in its programming. To that end, Uzur blends popular with less familiar or even long-neglected works to create a repertoire that should appeal to all tastes.

At least, that's what he hopes the result will be.

As the founder and director of the Bonneville Chamber Music Festival at Weber State University, Uzur can put his ideas to practical use. And he thinks this year's festival, which begins Wednesday, offers a nice mix of works.

"There are a few unusual pieces at the festival," he told the Deseret News by phone. Among these is Gioacchino Rossini's Duetto for Cello and Double Bass.

Best known as a prolific composer of comic operas, Rossini also wrote a few purely instrumental pieces. "He is the only classical composer who wrote a duo for cello and bass," Uzur said.

And while a cello/bass combination is definitely something out of the ordinary, Uzur said that Rossini really captures the character of each instrument.

"It is a very nice piece, very melodic, and both instruments have equal roles."

Along the same line is Giovanni Bottesini's Grand Duo Concertant for Violin, Double Bass and Piano, which will be on the same program as the Rossini, Jean Barriere's Sonata No. 10 for Two Cellos and Francois Couperin's Duo for Two Cellos.

Balancing out these pieces will be some more familiar fare in the form of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's "Souvenir de Florence," Franz Schubert's "Arpeggione" Sonata, D. 821, Amadeus Mozart's "Ave Verum Corpus" and Robert Schumann's Piano Quartet in E flat major.

Uzur admitted it isn't always easy programming a festival. Many factors need to be taken into consideration, especially suggestions from the musicians.

"It is always a struggle to decide what to play," he said. But by tossing ideas around, Uzur eventually gets his programming in place.

And there is a lot to choose from. "This is some very important and gorgeous music," he said. "Some of the best music ever written is for chamber groups. Major composers seem to have put so much energy and thought and inspiration into this music."

Joining Uzur, who is a cellist and a member of the WSU faculty, will be a group of musicians who have been to the festival in the past. They include pianist Vadim Serebryany and cellist Spencer Martin.