John Anthony Calabrese

When you do it all for love, going against long odds and the advice of those who have been there before you, well, that's amore, right? Or more precisely, in the case of John Anthony Calabrese, viola d'amore. A bowed string instrument roughly the size and shape of a big, modern viola, the "viola of love" is strung in a truly weird way with two sets of metal strings, usually totaling 14.

Duo Calabrese operates on a charming, even rebellious premise: exploring out-of-the-way repertory that features only the violin and the once flourishing, now rarely used 14-string viola d'amore. The question before the listener: Is it worth the effort? Certainly there was a wide stylistic range among the duos and solo pieces that the husband-and-wife team of John Anthony Calabrese (viola d'amore) and Gabriela Olcese (violin) dusted off at Schoenberg Hall on Sunday afternoon.

Duo Calabrese operates on a charming, even rebellious premise: exploring out-of-the-way repertory that features only the violin and the once flourishing, now rarely used 14-string viola d'amore. The question before the listener: Is it worth the effort? Certainly there was a wide stylistic range among the duos and solo pieces that the husband-and-wife team of John Anthony Calabrese (viola d'amore) and Gabriela Olcese (violin) dusted off at Schoenberg Hall on Sunday afternoon.

When you do it all for love, going against long odds and the advice of those who have been there before you, well, that's amore, right? Or more precisely, in the case of John Anthony Calabrese, viola d'amore. A bowed string instrument roughly the size and shape of a big, modern viola, the "viola of love" is strung in a truly weird way with two sets of metal strings, usually totaling 14.

Viola d'amore player John Anthony Calabrese and violinist Gabriela Olcese, known as Duo Calabrese, will give a free concert, Feb. 8 at 2 p.m. at the Edmund D. Edelman Hollywood Bowl Museum on the grounds of the Hollywood Bowl. The duo will play music by Louis Toussaint Milandre, Johann Albrechtsberger, Karl Braun and Charles de Beriot. Admission and parking are free. Information: (213) 850-2058.