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November 24, 1988 - Savoring the Splendor of a StormViolin Makers Take Their Bows in Competition By Barbara Goldowsky Whereas Southampton was for several years (1984 -6) the headquarters of an inter- national organization of violin makers, play- ers and scholars of fiddle lore, and Whereas this same Society has as one of its directors Southampton's own resident violin -maker Norman Pickering, and Whereas the Violin Society of America held its bi- annual competition for new instru- ments last week, your reporter sends you this informal report from Minneapolis: Saturday, November 5, 5:30 a.m. EST: On the way to Islip's MacArthur Airport, the new moon cuts a sharp, bright crescent into the sky but weather forecasts sound uncer- tain. There is talk of "fronts." The flight to Pittsburgh as well as the connecting flight are actually ahead of schedule, but in Min- neapolis snow is coming down heavily, as it has since 7 a.m., local time. Shortly after we land, the airport shuts down for several hours, traffic diverts to Fargo, North Dakota, where snow is reported to be flying sideways. Horizontal snow: a sure way to tell you are Out West. Noon, CST at the Scanticon Conference Center 10 miles from downtown Minneapo- lis, 30 miles from the airport: Early arrivals lunch in the glassed -in, Danish - contemporary cafe, watching more snow, re- newing old acquaintance. At an adjoining ta- ble, one of the judges, a famous violin and bow maker from Czechoslovakia now resid- ing in Ottawa, sits sunk in uncharacteristic gloom. Air Canada has lost his brand -new European luggage; he's depressed by the thought of having to wear the same sport- jacket for a week. To cheer him, I offer a cup of coffee and sympathy. He offers a Dram - bouie... 3 p.m. — and not that much Drambouie later: the dining room is empty, but our spir- its are fully restored. In fact we're both as chatty and charming as Minnesota's state bird, the loon, whose slightly loopy grin adorns every article in the gift shop. Sunday, November 6: With the sun, plan- eloads of luthiers from a dozen countries ar- rive to check in their handmade violins, violas, cellos and bows for judging by inter- nationally respected experts. Instruments must have been completed since the last competition, in 1984, and will be scrutinized to meet the most exacting standards of work- manship and tone quality. Although no prize money is awarded, winners can expect Savoring the Splendor of a Storm By Paul Stoutenburgh Why is it that whenever there is a storm brewing I get uneasy and have to get out and see what's going on? Perhaps it's something in my genes that goes back to when my an- cestors were young and storms meant a time to take advantage of those chaotic periods. There are many situations that could have lured the oldtimers during such periods. Ducks would be seeking shelter and therefore the wise hunter could place himself in a po- sition to take advantage of their plight. Also under the cover of a storm one could sneak up on unsuspecting game, be it ducks or deer. In those early days game was an integral part of life and almost everyone owned a "fowling piece." Then there were the opportunists who took advantage of the howling gales that drove ships ashore. The first one there often got the lion's share of the salvage. Even today that "first to claim her" holds true. Probably this winter we'll have those who venture out in the wildest of snowstorms to seek cleanup work. Should they wait until the storm's over, someone else might get the job. Then, of course, there are those whose job it is to be out to help others in stormy weather, our dedicated policemen and utility men who work many hours in stormy conditions to keep things going. My most recent urge to get out in a storm was for none of the reasons above. Rather it was to get a sense and feel of the power of nature when she's on the rampage. On Nov- ember 13 the storm Barbara and I headed out into proved to be a short and wild one. We took my pickup because it is higher off the ground than the modern car and would be more reliable if the rain proved heavy enough to make deep puddles and flood the roads. There's no better place to see and feel the fury of a storm than along our ocean beach so we headed for Dune Road in Westhamp- ton. As we passed through Riverhead it be- gan spitting rain and we saw geese under the low grey clouds. They were looking for a farmer's rye field to settle in and start their vegetarian diet. As we progressed along the road leading to Westhampton, passing what was formerly the RCA property, we noticed the stake -out numbers of the New York State Department of Conservation along the way. These were deer areas hunters would be assigned, a sure sign that winter was on its way. Deer are becoming more and more a prob- lem as they continue to multiply, thanks to a lack of natural predators. In the early days before man destroyed all the bears, panthers, wolves and other natural predators, the deer population was kept in a natural balance. Today there are just too many deer for our modern world. It's a shame but because of this overpopulation man has to step in and take the place of the natural predator. In the past two weeks three deer have been killed on the highway within four miles of where I live. There are deer crossing signs where years ago I would have thought them out of place. Most of us love all wildlife but in the case of the deer we must understand there is justification in culling down their numbers. As we reached Westhampton, the spitting rain turned into a downpour and the wind in- creased to a gale. It even found a flaw in my windshield seal and a little rivulet of water ran over the dash. I put the wipers on high speed and still my view was partly blurred. Over the bridge to Dune Road we swashed leaving that mini - inland waterway in the pro- tection of the great buildings that line it. My mind flashed back to years ago when we brought a boat up this narrow and quiet wa- terway. It was raining then but there was no wind to pelt us as it did today. We headed east along Dune Road, a name given to a road when dunes and freedom to park and swim were commonplace. Today this Dune Road is lined with homes from the simple to the ex- travagant, from the condos to the beach HEMORRHOIDS Office endoscopy, treatment of hemorrhoids, rectal bleeding, ulcer disease, hiatal hernia, colitis and heart burn Rodney B. Ryan, M.D. Benton Plaza Gastroenterologist Medical Arts Bldg. 365 County Rd. 39 1333 Roanoke Ave. Southampton Medicare & Empire Plan Riverhead 283 -7090 Assignment Accepted 727 -4050 Andrea Homes Quality Custom Builders Architectural Services - Site Planning - Personal Supervision of All Project Phases - 725 -4700 Luxurious choices at reasonable rates Limousine Service 516- 283 -4600 212-936-0440 I clubs. Puddles and road flooding were every- where. We are glad we had taken the pickup. Actually we were sheltered by the wall of buildings but with such a wind from the southeast, we knew that just a short ways away the surf must be raging in all its fury. Finally the houses and condos seemed to peter out and a true Dune Road took over. Thank goodness Southampton Town had the foresight to hold on to that wondrous stretch of open land west of Shinnecock Inlet. We pulled into one of the side roads that lead to the ocean. There wasn't a car about and so we drove right up to the brink of the oceanfront. What a sight lay before us! The rain drove at us in all its anger and mixed in with it were grains of sand that had been picked up and flung into the air. White churning surf with great troughs be- tween the huge swells, covered the vista as far as you could see, but amidst all of it there was that distinct additional churning surf created by the offshore bar that parallels an ocean beach. It is this outer bar that the doomed ships of yesteryear came upon first in their last efforts to free themselves from the angry sea. We could see how difficult it must have been to try to get ashore in that whirling, churning sea. What a hopeless sit- uation, aground on the bar being battered by enormous waves and fierce rain and wind while praying for help. We backed away and headed to Shinnecock Inlet a short distance to the east. Here we saw the first signs of life. Four or five cars and pickups were lined up looking out over the sea. Again we saw that vast white fury of rolling breakers, the pounding rain on the windshield and felt the wind that actually rocked our little truck. Further out there was another drama tak- ing place; there were birds wheeling and turning and diving. We could barely make them out in the rain. What could be out in such a storm? Occasionally I could see large narrow wings with black tips. It must be gan- nets but then we usually see them far off- shore. Sure enough the binoculars told the story. It was quite a sight to see through the spray and rain plummeting birds rocketing into the water with that continual turmoil all about. Evidently the outgoing tide was spewing out a bountiful supply of food. The gannets, along with the black - backed and herring gulls were enjoying the feast despite the weather. We stayed staring out at the sea mesmerized by the power and fury before us and yet there was a beauty built into that storm. higher prices for their future work, in addi- tion to tremendous prestige. What do violin makers look like? Unlike their product — which is not sup- posed to deviate from standards set in the age of Stradivarius — makers come in de- lightful variety. There are business - suited Germans and eastern Europeans, Texas cowboys and hippies, pretty young women, sensibly -shod older ones, Chinese and Jap- anese delegations with lovely manners and courageous English. Monday and Tuesday (Election Day): Judges and officials in high gear now, test- ing each and every one of the 120 violins, 44 violas, 20 cellos and 11 matched quartets in separate rooms. Players from the Minneap- olis Symphony and other musicians grade them for tone production and ease of play- ing. Volunteers ferry instruments through the hotel's endless corridors like two - legged leaf-cutter ants carrying odd- shaped burd- ens of brown, tan, reddish and yellow -gold. All instruments have been made anony- mous, makers' names covered with a num- ber unknown to them. Though contestants may listen to the tone judging, they may not ask for individual scores or watch workman- ship evaluations. The national elections come and go, little discussed or noticed, as sus- pense builds toward Thursday's awards din- ner. To keep things moving for everyone, the convention program provides a full schedule of lectures and workshops on the history and lore of stringed instruments, concerts and ex- hibits, booths selling wood, strings, books and other materials. People tour the Twin Cities and shopping malls. (Your correspondent visits Minnesota Public Radio, chauffeured by Abdullah, a taxi driver from Afghanistan. But that's another story.) The hotel provides swimming pool, hot tub, racquet ball, rowing machine and walking trails for the fit and would -be -fit. It's a bit like summer camp, with movies, a late -night pizza cookout in the enormous kitchen, smor- gasbord in the dining hall. At cocktail hour one afternoon, traffic in the lobby is stopped by a violin! It races across the floor, flat out, invisible wheels clacking loudly on tile. It's a new kind of "competition instrument," radio controlled, built by a young man who has won so many gold medals he is no longer eligible to enter Violin Society contests. My spouse vows to make one too, so they can race next time. Thursday, November 10, 6 p.m.: The Society's president has decided to announce the winners right after the appetizer. That way everybody can cat a little more, he says, either in celebration or consolation. Top awards go to America, West Germany, France, China. Several women are among the winners. Speeches, photos, hugs, kisses. Everybody eats a little more. Saturday, November 12, 9 a.m.: It is snow- ing again, the first time all week. Minnes- otans are used to this, we're told, no problem, there are heated runways. And indeed we do get to the airport in plenty of time after warm goodbyes to our several hundred old and new friends. All of them say the same thing: "I don't want to see or hear another violin for a very long time!" For three years, Barbara Goldowsky and her husband, Norman Pickering, then president of the Violin Society of America, ran the So- ciety out of their Southampton home. The So- ciety holds annual conventions for its 1,500 members in various cities; the competition takes place every two years. NIL Yot, O 11r7 7 4' Petsitters offers you an alternative to kenneling your pet. We feed, exercise, and pamper your pet in your own home when you go on vacation. CALL 369 -5933 or 728 -4529 REFERENCES AVAILABLE CT: The Raphael Trio — pianist Daniel Epstein, cellist Susan Salon and violinist Charles Castleman— will perform a benefit concert for the Eastern Suffolk School of Music on Saturday, December 3, at Veterans Memorial Hall on Pond Lane in Southampton. — Christian Steiner Photo Raphael Trio Schedules Benefit The Raphael Trio, whose annual Carnegie Hall concert series is regularly sold out, will give a special performance of Beethoven trios on December 3 at Veterans Memorial Hall in Southampton, according to an an- nouncement from the Eastern Suffolk School of Music, for which will the concert is a ben- efit. Tickets, at $15 each, will be tax - deductible as donations to ESSM. They will be available at the door but may be reserved in advance by calling the school at 369 -2171. The Raphael Trio— pianist Daniel Epstein, violinist Charles Castleman and cellist Su- san Salm —made its New York debut in 1975 at Carnegie Hall as winner of the Concert Ar- tists Guild Award. They have made numer- ous festival appearances since then in addition to their Carnegie Hall series. They also have recorded Dvorak's F Minor Trio to enthusiastic reviews. Each member of the trio has an active solo career. Violinist Charles Castleman, a pro- fessor at the Eastman School, has appeared with the New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia and Moscow state Orchestras. Pianist Daniel Epstein first received inter- national recognition in 1973, when Eugene or- mandy presented him in his American debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra. He has worked with the San Francisco, Houston, Berlin and Frankfurt Orchestras and played in recital at Lincoln Center. Cellist Susan Salm has played with the Stuttgart Philhar- monic, Frankfurt and Berlin Symphonies and performed in recitals and recording ses- sions throughout Europe. 0 5 f 0 V 0 z z a Fertilizer For INDOOR HOUSE PLANTS 8.16.5 For Information, Interseape288- 1598/288 -7864 Native American Southwest Collection Oct. 2 — Nov. 20 ** *KRAMORIS GALLERIA*** Main Street, P.O. Box 2664, Sag Harbor, NY 11963.516- 725- 2499.Open Daily 11-6& most evenings WBAZ 101.7FM "LIGHTS UP THE BAY" Listen at Work and Win $101.70 THE CHORAL SOCIETY OF THE HAMPTONS presenLS nr 11nrl , E. Jon deRevere, Conductor A Christmas Cantata, J.S. Bach Jubilate Den, Giovanni Gabneli Traditional Christmas Carols with THE WEST SIDE CHAMBER PLAYERS MUSIC OF THE CHRISTMAS SEASON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1988 4:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Main Street, Bridgehampton Tickets available by calling 516- 324 -1925 Suggested Donation: $7.00 THE SOUTHAMPTON PRESS / NOVEMBER 24, 1988 Abortion Alternative TIK�HR,�GHT cares about you FREE PREGNANCY TEST Confidential NEW OFFICE 163 Montauk Hwy. Hampton Bays 728 -5756 anytime higher prices for their future work, in addi- tion to tremendous prestige. What do violin makers look like? Unlike their product — which is not sup- posed to deviate from standards set in the age of Stradivarius — makers come in de- lightful variety. There are business - suited Germans and eastern Europeans, Texas cowboys and hippies, pretty young women, sensibly -shod older ones, Chinese and Jap- anese delegations with lovely manners and courageous English. Monday and Tuesday (Election Day): Judges and officials in high gear now, test- ing each and every one of the 120 violins, 44 violas, 20 cellos and 11 matched quartets in separate rooms. Players from the Minneap- olis Symphony and other musicians grade them for tone production and ease of play- ing. Volunteers ferry instruments through the hotel's endless corridors like two - legged leaf-cutter ants carrying odd- shaped burd- ens of brown, tan, reddish and yellow -gold. All instruments have been made anony- mous, makers' names covered with a num- ber unknown to them. Though contestants may listen to the tone judging, they may not ask for individual scores or watch workman- ship evaluations. The national elections come and go, little discussed or noticed, as sus- pense builds toward Thursday's awards din- ner. To keep things moving for everyone, the convention program provides a full schedule of lectures and workshops on the history and lore of stringed instruments, concerts and ex- hibits, booths selling wood, strings, books and other materials. People tour the Twin Cities and shopping malls. (Your correspondent visits Minnesota Public Radio, chauffeured by Abdullah, a taxi driver from Afghanistan. But that's another story.) The hotel provides swimming pool, hot tub, racquet ball, rowing machine and walking trails for the fit and would -be -fit. It's a bit like summer camp, with movies, a late -night pizza cookout in the enormous kitchen, smor- gasbord in the dining hall. At cocktail hour one afternoon, traffic in the lobby is stopped by a violin! It races across the floor, flat out, invisible wheels clacking loudly on tile. It's a new kind of "competition instrument," radio controlled, built by a young man who has won so many gold medals he is no longer eligible to enter Violin Society contests. My spouse vows to make one too, so they can race next time. Thursday, November 10, 6 p.m.: The Society's president has decided to announce the winners right after the appetizer. That way everybody can cat a little more, he says, either in celebration or consolation. Top awards go to America, West Germany, France, China. Several women are among the winners. Speeches, photos, hugs, kisses. Everybody eats a little more. Saturday, November 12, 9 a.m.: It is snow- ing again, the first time all week. Minnes- otans are used to this, we're told, no problem, there are heated runways. And indeed we do get to the airport in plenty of time after warm goodbyes to our several hundred old and new friends. All of them say the same thing: "I don't want to see or hear another violin for a very long time!" For three years, Barbara Goldowsky and her husband, Norman Pickering, then president of the Violin Society of America, ran the So- ciety out of their Southampton home. The So- ciety holds annual conventions for its 1,500 members in various cities; the competition takes place every two years. NIL Yot, O 11r7 7 4' Petsitters offers you an alternative to kenneling your pet. We feed, exercise, and pamper your pet in your own home when you go on vacation. CALL 369 -5933 or 728 -4529 REFERENCES AVAILABLE CT: The Raphael Trio — pianist Daniel Epstein, cellist Susan Salon and violinist Charles Castleman— will perform a benefit concert for the Eastern Suffolk School of Music on Saturday, December 3, at Veterans Memorial Hall on Pond Lane in Southampton. — Christian Steiner Photo Raphael Trio Schedules Benefit The Raphael Trio, whose annual Carnegie Hall concert series is regularly sold out, will give a special performance of Beethoven trios on December 3 at Veterans Memorial Hall in Southampton, according to an an- nouncement from the Eastern Suffolk School of Music, for which will the concert is a ben- efit. Tickets, at $15 each, will be tax - deductible as donations to ESSM. They will be available at the door but may be reserved in advance by calling the school at 369 -2171. The Raphael Trio— pianist Daniel Epstein, violinist Charles Castleman and cellist Su- san Salm —made its New York debut in 1975 at Carnegie Hall as winner of the Concert Ar- tists Guild Award. They have made numer- ous festival appearances since then in addition to their Carnegie Hall series. They also have recorded Dvorak's F Minor Trio to enthusiastic reviews. Each member of the trio has an active solo career. Violinist Charles Castleman, a pro- fessor at the Eastman School, has appeared with the New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia and Moscow state Orchestras. Pianist Daniel Epstein first received inter- national recognition in 1973, when Eugene or- mandy presented him in his American debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra. He has worked with the San Francisco, Houston, Berlin and Frankfurt Orchestras and played in recital at Lincoln Center. Cellist Susan Salm has played with the Stuttgart Philhar- monic, Frankfurt and Berlin Symphonies and performed in recitals and recording ses- sions throughout Europe. 0 5 f 0 V 0 z z a Fertilizer For INDOOR HOUSE PLANTS 8.16.5 For Information, Interseape288- 1598/288 -7864 Native American Southwest Collection Oct. 2 — Nov. 20 ** *KRAMORIS GALLERIA*** Main Street, P.O. Box 2664, Sag Harbor, NY 11963.516- 725- 2499.Open Daily 11-6& most evenings WBAZ 101.7FM "LIGHTS UP THE BAY" Listen at Work and Win $101.70 THE CHORAL SOCIETY OF THE HAMPTONS presenLS nr 11nrl , E. Jon deRevere, Conductor A Christmas Cantata, J.S. Bach Jubilate Den, Giovanni Gabneli Traditional Christmas Carols with THE WEST SIDE CHAMBER PLAYERS MUSIC OF THE CHRISTMAS SEASON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1988 4:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Main Street, Bridgehampton Tickets available by calling 516- 324 -1925 Suggested Donation: $7.00 THE SOUTHAMPTON PRESS / NOVEMBER 24, 1988