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The CSC Eagle Newspaper – Chadron, NE
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The CSC Eagle Newspaper – Chadron, NE
Lifestyles

Suspenseful performance fills Sandoz Center Atrium

Guest Author

As night fell Saturday, the brightly lit Atrium buzzed with chatter, mixed with the sounds of a musician’s viola warming up.
Viola player and guest artist Margaret Miller, professor at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, strolled into the Atrium with pianist Brooks Hafey and his page turner, Bobby Pace. All three took a bow before sitting.

Margaret Miller, professor of viola at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, plays viola during the Chamber Music Recital on Saturday. — Photo by Brianna Wilson
Margaret Miller, professor of viola at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, plays viola during the Chamber Music Recital on Saturday. — Photo by Brianna Wilson

Piano music introduced Georges Hüe’s “Thème varié” and was soon joined by the viola. In contrast the viola has the start in “Phantasy for Viola and Piano, Op. 54” by York Bowen.
Both artists moved with the music. Miller’s fingers flew over the strings on her viola, the notes were sharp and clear through the atrium.
After intermission, CSC adjunct professor, Pam Shuler, joined them on the clarinet.
The trio began playing music from “8 Pieces for Clarinet, Viola and Piano, Op. 83” (“No. 1, Andante;” “No. 2, Allegro con moto;” “No. 5, Romanian Melody: Andante;” and “No. 4, Allegro agitato”) by Max Bruch.
The silence and attention of the audience combined with the music created a suspenseful mood, accentuated by the black clothing of the artists and dark sky outside the windows.
The performance ended; all nodded together though not necessarily to each other, seemingly satisfied with their performance—a job well done, confirmed by the audience’s applause.