Connecting with Quixote

Young Chang

If cellos could talk, they would use the language of cellist Timothy

Landauer’s hands.

They might even gallop in on horses as gallantly as Don Quixote

himself, fall off but get up with the strength of three men and, in the

tradition of many heroic men, fall in love. Their sister strings, the

violas, might ramble on like women in a stereotypical sewing circle. And

the bass clarinets, like heavy-booted men, might musically portray the

sound of movement.

Landauer and the Pacific Symphony Orchestra will present such a

musical interpretation of Miguel de Cervantes’ “Don Quixote” today with a

“tone poem” by Richard Strauss for the Pacific Symphony Orchestra’s

Classical Connections concert series.

“The goal of the series is to bring audience understanding of the

individual works we present,” said John Forsyte, president of the

orchestra. “If you’re just new to classical music and you’re very

interested in learning about the content of these great masterpieces,

it’s the perfect series.”

In “Don Quixote,” every idea is represented by a musical gesture, and

for those who know the adventures of the Don or follow along in the

textual program that the Orchestra will provide today, the story should

be clear.

Landauer, the principal cellist for the orchestra, will perform the

role of Don Quixote. Robert Becker, the orchestra’s principal viola

player, will portray Sancho Panza, the Don’s servant.

“The viola in this performance is the tongue of Sancho Panza,” Becker

said. “And there’s a very fast solo viola part -- this is supposed to

represent the tongue wagging, ‘cause he just won’t stop talking.”

To convey Sancho Panza’s physical movements, composer Strauss assigned

the bass clarinet.

“The musical interpretation is very graphic and very specific in what

[Strauss] does,” Becker said. “This is not just some general

interpretation or impression that we might have of Quixote.”

Landauer calls it “smart.”

Arpeggios are used to portray the act of Quixote falling off his

horse. Drum beats are used when he hits the ground. A cello solo fits the

hero trying to get himself back up. And scale-like techniques on various

woodwind instruments resemble the sound of windmills.

“Strauss uses different instruments and it becomes like different

color pigments, like in a painting,” Landauer said. “He increases the

doubling of the instrument or decreases them to add variation and

different intensities to shades of colors.”

Landauer ventures that the composer chose the cello to represent Don

Quixote because the instrument has a very “manly, darker and deeper

sound.”

Today’s performance will include two actors who will help the audience

understand the story. Forsyte said the specific format of the show is a

surprise.

“We were saying last night that Strauss was a profound genius,” he

said. “He has a masterful way of capturing the essence of the characters

and yet it’s so abstract. There’s no singing and no text, of course, but

how he sparks the listener’s imagination.”

FYI

WHAT: “Don Quixote” Classical Connections concert

WHEN: 3:30 p.m. today

WHERE:Orange County Performing Arts Center, 600 Town Center Drive,

Costa Mesa

COST: $12-$32

CALL: (714) 755-5799