MUSIC REVIEW : Three Bergamo Pieces Featured

The latest Monday Evening Concert in Bing Theater at the County Museum of Art was probably one of the more routine in recent memory. Although the program shared by the Repercussion Unit and West German cellist Michael Bach was not without moments of genuine interest, challenging undertakings were scarce, as were surprises.

The antics and exuberance that have typified past performances by the Repercussion Unit were rarely displayed. Instead, the quintet soberly performed three pieces by their founder, John Bergamo, which were characteristically laden with improvisation and influenced by the music of India.

The first and third movements of Bergamo’s “Gupta Sloka Chand” (1986) proceeded with simple metric textures, while the contrasting second movement explored sonorities created by tremolos and bowed marimbas. Conducted by Repercussion Unit member Stephen Mosko, this piece is actually a concerto for two medium-sized drums, which Bergamo carefully played with his hands, improvising in the style of a tabla, accompanied by five mallet instruments.

Bergamo conducted “On the Edge” (1984) for a number of contrasting, large gongs, timpani and an engine cowling from a Boeing 747, which was struck, scraped and rained upon with handfuls of small objects.

Interspersed among the Bergamo pieces were Bach’s performances of music by three German composers. His aggressive performance style--replete with sighing and swaying--demonstrated a strong foundation in the Darmstadt avant-garde tradition.

Best suited for this tradition is “Gugging” (1986) by Caspar Johannes Walter, a purposely relentless pointillistic pizzicato study.

Two austere pieces for solo cello by Bernd Alois Zimmermann, his Sonata (1959-60) and Four Short Studies (1970), revealed a more refined side to Bach’s playing.