Sergiu Schwartz

Mehli Mehta has always been an unblushing Romantic. The American Youth Symphony's venerable music director regularly steers far away from the coolness of the Baroque or 20th-Century orchestral literature. His credo--the warmer the better. Thus, the program on Sunday at Royce Hall, UCLA, was right up his alley: Wagner's explosive "Meistersinger" Prelude, Bruch's schmaltzy Violin Concerto No. 1 and that all-time tear-jerker, Tchaikovsky's "Pathetique" Symphony.

Violinist Sergiu Schwartz, heard Friday night in Schoenberg Hall at UCLA, is one of those musicians who seems conscious of everything he does. That rubs a listener both ways. Possessed of a big, bright, ringing tone and commanding technique, Schwartz uses his means to well-honed, responsible and always intense ends. One hears the care and craftsmanship he brings to the music. One senses the earnestness with which he pursues his cause.

Violinist Sergiu Schwartz, heard Friday night in Schoenberg Hall at UCLA, is one of those musicians who seems conscious of everything he does. That rubs a listener both ways. Possessed of a big, bright, ringing tone and commanding technique, Schwartz uses his means to well-honed, responsible and always intense ends. One hears the care and craftsmanship he brings to the music. One senses the earnestness with which he pursues his cause.

The Mozart Camerata, still sporting the title "Classical Orchestra," laid claim to dreams of Romantic proportions Saturday night at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church. Those dreams, however, did not come true. Bruch's G-minor Violin Concerto provided the fantastic subject, a supremely Romantic and frequently played work.

Violinist Sergiu Schwartz remembers the Romanian secret police--the Securitate--imprisoning his father for two years on a charge that was never made clear. . . . Mozart Camerata founding music director Ami Porat remembers the Securitate offering his father a choice between life imprisonment or serving as a spy for the Romanian state. . . . But such memories come reluctantly--neither musician likes to talk about his childhood in Romania.

The Mozart Camerata, still sporting the title "Classical Orchestra," laid claim to dreams of Romantic proportions Saturday night at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church. Those dreams, however, did not come true. Bruch's G-minor Violin Concerto provided the fantastic subject, a supremely Romantic and frequently played work.

The Mozart Camerata has announced a five-concert season of programs to be offered both at the Irvine Barclay Theatre and St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach. Soloists will include pianist-violinist Corey Cerovsek and violinist Sergiu Schwartz, each of whom will be making his third appearance with the 11-year-old chamber orchestra. The season also will feature orchestrations by Camerata music director Ami Porat of quartets by Mozart and Juan Crisostomo Arriaga. The schedule: * Nov.

Henri Temianka's California Chamber Virtuosi series at Pepperdine University, Malibu, ended its latest season Saturday night with adept musicianship and programming. The concert offered three substantial French pieces from the late Romantic era in celebration of the bicentennial of the French Revolution.

Never let it be said that Mehli Mehta lacks generosity of spirit. Sunday night when the venerable maestro led his American Youth Symphony through its fourth concert of the season in Royce Hall at UCLA, he showcased not one but two deserving young artists. And instead of dedicating the performance to the memory of several recently deceased board directors he added, in tribute, another piece to an already lengthy program, Grieg's "The Last Spring."

Mendelssohn's E-minor violin concerto may have provided the centerpiece of the Mozart Camerata's program Saturday night at St. Andrew's Church, but Schubert's Symphony No. 3 emerged as the gem. Closing the final concert of the Camerata's 1990-91 season, the symphony underscored the strengths on which music director Ami Porat has built his orchestra's reputation--precision, balance, and the ability to communicate an idea.

Violinist Sergiu Schwartz remembers the Romanian secret police--the Securitate--imprisoning his father for two years on a charge that was never made clear. . . . Mozart Camerata founding music director Ami Porat remembers the Securitate offering his father a choice between life imprisonment or serving as a spy for the Romanian state. . . . But such memories come reluctantly--neither musician likes to talk about his childhood in Romania.

Mehli Mehta has always been an unblushing Romantic. The American Youth Symphony's venerable music director regularly steers far away from the coolness of the Baroque or 20th-Century orchestral literature. His credo--the warmer the better. Thus, the program on Sunday at Royce Hall, UCLA, was right up his alley: Wagner's explosive "Meistersinger" Prelude, Bruch's schmaltzy Violin Concerto No. 1 and that all-time tear-jerker, Tchaikovsky's "Pathetique" Symphony.

The Mozart Camerata, led by founding music director Ami Porat, has expanded its season from four to five offerings for 1988-89. Guest artists with the 4-year-old chamber orchestra will include violinists Kathleen Lenski and Sergiu Schwartz, violist Brian Denbow, cellist Nathaniel Rosen and pianist Nickoli Popov. Dates and repertory for the concerts, to be held at Santa Ana High School Auditorium: --Oct. 8, 8 p.m.

Ami Porat led his Mozart Camerata on Sunday night in the group's traditional celebration of Mozart's birthday--the composer was born 233 years ago Friday. An enthusiastic audience filled less than half of the auditorium at Santa Ana High School. Contrasted with the provocative selections of Porat's past programming, which this season has included lesser-known works by Rossini, Dittersdorf and Wanhal, there were few surprises in Sunday's Mozart fare.