Music Reviews : Southwest Chamber Music Society in Pasadena

The Southwest Chamber Music Society’s four pieces by 20th-Century Americans Friday at the Pasadena Public Library underscored the pleasures still available in works from the non-experimental ranks of composers.

Pianist Albert Dominguez opened with Five “Anniversaries” by Leonard Bernstein. These cleverly wrought trifles sparkle with rhythmic vigor and melodic charm; Dominguez brought control and clarity to his playing.

He later offered Elliott Carter’s Sonata (1946). The pianist capitalized on the work’s frequent and marked contrasts. He delivered the powerful pronouncements with authority and the gentle interludes with sensitivity.

Wide contrasts also abound in Copland’s “Vitebsk,” and violinist Kimiyo Takeya, cellist Richard Treat and Dominguez effectively made the most of them.

Though each work on the program falls within the pale of American neoclassicism, Halsey Stevens’ Trio No. 2 provides a textbook example of the style. The three easily conveyed the work’s breezy lyricism and ebullient vitality.