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.■vV/.rlt;**»»DOUBLE DEBUT - Richard L. Watson, 32. a neophyte conductor, background, and Soviet Jewish immigrant violinist, Albert Markov. 43, foreground, used (he Houston Symphony to launch their U.S. debuts Monday night in I Ionsable to conduct because his sister arranged through friends to buy him a $14,000 Christmas gift from a Houston department store last December. The store advertised an evening to conduct the Houston Svmphonv as The UltimateHouston Conductor Upstaged By Soviet Guest ViolinistI if)(‘STUN jAP— A Russian viohnist drew more praise from nunes Moruiav mc'hr than a• t.fvoune conductor whose friends; :oaid SH.kuo tor his chance toriir* ([lie Houston SymphonyOrchestraAI her! Markov was guest ,sn \lt;)'M at the concert purchasedman the “Ultimate Dream • vt.ion of the 11/75 Christmase* t •’.if'. . toEaf,il:[!iie of a Houston by in raids of Rich;■ lt;mu-on, who has studied con on linn m four Kuropean connAnor acrepfing the Christmas riit, Watson, a Berkeley, Calif., native who now is a violist with he i\ow Jersey Symphony. arranged for Markov to make his American orchestral debut during the Jones Hall concert,Charles Ward of the Houston Chronicle wrote that while the spotlight was on Watson it was Markov, for 15 vears a violin so-least with the .Moscow St.'dc Philharmonic, who easily came a wav the winnerfCarl Cunningham of theHouston Post wrote that Markov's playing of die final two movements of the Paganini B minor Concerto provided some of tin more interesting musicalmoments of the concert.Watson's orchestral support of Markov during these final two movements was mechanical at best, often tentative and sen orally at such a soft, dynamic level as to leave the impression the soloist was treacling on thin ice.” Cunningham wrote.V. - rWard said Watson nicely handled the stop-and-go butnp-along tempo set bv Markov.Although basically a crisp and clean conductor. Watson was quite ill-at-ease to start and this markedly affected the flu-idilv of Ins work the entire evening. Ward wrote.With Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony, Watson got to lay out his ideas and the result was a far trecr flowing approach as the conductor relaxed and began to react with the music.
Newspaper Details
Lubbock Avalanche Journal
Lubbock, Texas, US
Wed, May 26, 1976
Page 11
Full Page
Clipped by
Terry B.
TX, USA 02 Aug 2022
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