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© St. Petersburg Times, published January 10, 2002
Sonorous strings
Beethoven's earliest foray into the string quartet form will be part of the Miami String Quartet's concert in Tarpon Springs. Though it is number three of his first set of six quartets (Op. 18), the D major quartet was probably composed first, in 1798, when Beethoven realized he was going deaf.
The group -- violinists Ivan Chan and Cathy Meng Robinson, violist Chauncy Patterson and cellist Keith Robinson -- will also play Bartok's String Quartet No. 2 (Op. 17) and Smetana's String Quartet No. 1 in E minor, which the Czech composer titled From My Life.
The performance is 8 p.m. Saturday at the Tarpon Springs Performing Arts Center. Tickets: $13 and $15. (727) 942-5605.
-- JOHN FLEMING, Times performing arts critic
The country-western musical Pump Boys and Dinettes started out as a supper club act in New York City, where it expanded to become an off-off-Broadway show that eventually went to Broadway and was nominated for a Tony Award. Since then, the show has been produced all over the world.
Angel Cabaret Theatre opens its 2002 season with the show and its 20 rockabilly, gospel, folk, rock and, of course, country songs, plus corn pone jokes, gags and forays into the audience by the six-member cast to encourage hand-clapping, singing and dancing in the aisles.
Shows are afternoons and evenings starting Friday and continuing through Feb. 24 at Angel Cabaret Theatre, 5201 U.S. 19 (Southgate Shopping Center), New Port Richey. Dinner and show, $32.50, plus $2 handling for credit card orders, tax and tip. Call (727) 847-0019.
-- BARBARA L. FREDRICKSEN, Times staff writer
Lowell Adams, assistant principal cello with the Florida Orchestra and co-founder of the ensemble Spectrum, has long championed contemporary music, so he's entitled to focus on the standard repertoire once in a while. His Sunday afternoon recital will include only one selection by a living composer, the Episode Cinquieme of Frenchwoman Betsy Jolas.
The big work on the program is the Brahms Cello Sonata No. 2 in F major. Also to be played are Beethoven's variations on a theme from Mozart's opera, The Magic Flute, as well as works by Debussy, Faure and Ravel.
Adams' recital was rescheduled from its original date just after Sept. 11. He will be joined by pianist Noreen Cassidy-Polera.
The performance is at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg. Tickets: $7 and $15. (727) 896-2667.
-- JOHN FLEMING, Times performing arts critic