Monday, August 28, 2000

Ralph O'Dette
For The Dispatch

"Basso Bravo!'' was a delightful, offbeat program presented yesterday afternoon at the Franklin Park Conservatory & Botanical Garden atrium by Mark Alison Morton and friends.

The Columbus Chamber Music Society organized the event and encouraged families to bring children. The enthusiastic, capacity audience included many attentive youngsters and some sleepy ones, not unusual behavior for some adults at concerts.

Morton is principal bass of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. Joining him were Dianne Frazer Cross, keyboard player; Jude Mollenhauer, CSO principal harp; Korine Fujiwara and Tatiana Vertianova, violins; Brett Allen, viola; Christina Coletta, cello; and Jena Huebner, bass.

Morton began by inviting children to join him up front, which a number did. He talked about his instrument and its great versatility. He invited, and received, comments and questions from the audience and with his engaging personality and easy manner quickly set just the right tone.

The first music was provided by Morton and Cross with a sonata by Henry Eccles, an English contemporary of Handel's. The piece probably was written for violin, but as recast for bass it still offers a pleasing balance of lyricism and acrobatics, which was projected with skill and grace.

The electric keyboard was played musically, but I found the sound unpleasant all afternoon.

Composer Paul Ramsier, a former Ohio State University faculty member, provided the balance of the afternoon's music.

Low-Note Blues was a charming tale about Sam Lownote and Loretta Highnote, narrated verbally and musically by Morton. The piece stands comparison with George Kleinsinger's Tuby, the Tuba, of which it is reminiscent.

Road to Hamelin turned the familiar Pied Piper of Robert Browning's poem into a bass player. Again, Morton was a first-rate narrator as well as skillful exploiter of his instrument.

The concluding Silent Movie consisted of background music for familiar scenes with the visuals missing. The seven sections might not have registered with the youngsters, as some did not with me.