Last quarter, I went to the Stanford Woodwind Quintet (including a group of musicians who have been playing together for years) at Cambell Recital Hall, presented by the Department of Music. Alexandra Hawley, James Matheso, Mark Brandenburg, Lawrence Radent, Gregory Dufford, and Rufus Olivier (with his son, Rufus David Olivier) played several great pieces by composers of whom I’ve never heard–Eric Ewazen, or Arturo Marquez, for example.
I’ll admit that I would not have attended this event if my father hadn’t visited that weekend and selected, from among the vast majority of things on campus, this short concert. When I arrived, I noticed I was among perhaps three students that went. The majority of the audience was adults and visitors. I was more surprised that any students would come, although the event was completely free for students. The end of winter quarter is a difficult time, with a lot of events approaching in the spring and finals looming nearby, but this brief break from studies served as an excellent pause, taking the place of time that could have been spent browsing through facebook or e-mails.
The performers in this concert were not only incredible instrumentalists, but also played well with such a calm and casual demeanor. Because they had played together for so long, they hardly needed to glance at each other, look at the pages, or pause between pieces. They were wonderfully amusing as well, some dancing slightly in their seats as they played, one had a face that periodically turned tomato red from playing. Rufus Olivier and his son held the same expression while they played their bassoons–cheeks puffed out and eyebrows rising and falling in perfect synchronization.
Alexandra Hawley, at least half the size of her peers, played a few feet in front of me. Her flute, which I believe was plated with gold, matched her golden sparkling blazer. Her hands fluttered with such ease and precision, I completely forgot about the work I’d have to do when I returned to my dorm and began to contemplate on whether I could drop everything I am doing, travel back in time, and force my young self to learn an instrument. This thought was quickly dismissed, but I had wished that the performance lasted longer–thankfully, the Department of Music provides several opportunities during the year to see different shows–I look forward to attending others in the future that I’m sure will be equally entertaining.
Artwork by Sabrina Bedford
Disclaimer: the portraits may not be completely exactly entirely accurate.
