Robert deMaine

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tone was rich but penetrating, his intonation sure and steady, and his vibrato warm but focused, all characteristics he displayed while leading his section but which shone especially brilliantly in the solo.

A quick glance of the program provided his name, Robert deMaine, and a search of the Internet provided useful details--he'd been named DSO's principal cellist in 2002 and been praised by the New York Times as "an artist who makes one hang on every note." He will be playing a solo show at Ann Arbor's own Kerrytown Concert House on Sunday, May 16. His program looks like a blast: suites by Bach and Gaspar Cassado, plus Hindemith's Sonata for Solo Cello and selections from deMaine's own Twelve Etudes-Caprices.

Bach's solo cello suites cannot be beaten as tests for soul and stamina, nor can Cassado's be topped for verve and virtuosity. And for those who know it, Hindemith's sonata inspires both fear and awe. However, after hearing deMaine lead his section through the fearsome obstacles of Vaughan Williams' bone-crushing Fourth Symphony, I had no doubt that deMaine was up for the technical challenges. But what the devil was he doing playing his own compositions, and more importantly, what were they like?