Music and Dance Reviews : Composer / Conductor Lukas Foss Visits UCLA

Perhaps it was Lukas Foss’ smooth personality and excellent communicative skills that made the weaker moments of his latest Los Angeles appearance, Friday night in Schoenberg Hall at UCLA, less noticeable.

Indeed, lack of rehearsal--for which Foss repeatedly apologized from the stage--contributed to intonation and interpretive problems while he conducted a 36-member student chamber ensemble.

Nevertheless, there were triumphant moments. Foss conducted William Kraft’s Expressionist “Double Play” (1982) for violin, piano and chamber orchestra, with a powerful sense of drama and overflowing rapture. Violinist Yukiko Kamei confidently delivered a stunning solo part while pianist Tad White offered a careful reading that blended tastefully.

In another high point, cellist Lynn Harrell mastered Foss’ Neo-classic “Capriccio” (1948) with superb virtuosity, humorously hamming it up--in direct contrast to the more ponderous Foss on piano. Also by Foss, the eclectic “Curriculum Vitae” (1977) for solo accordion provided a good vehicle for the meticulous artistry of Yvonne Schnebly.

The rest of the fare proved routine and, in some cases, not worth mentioning. The first concert performance of Roy Travis’ 1975 orchestration of his “Songs and Epilogues” (1965) promised much but conveyed only fleeting moments of the needed passion. Bass Heinz Blankenburg offered deep, rich tone, but little expressivity in the highly emotional texts by Sappho.