String Quartet honors Wolff

St. Petersburg Quartet plays for departed dean

Tuesday's concert and reception in honor of former Dean of Conservatory Karen Wolff proved to be a cordial and enjoyable evening for most in attendance, despite some resentment and accusations of sugar-coating hanging in the air.

The performance by the renowned St. Petersburg String Quartet, who spent the 1997-'98 year as Quartet in Residence at the Conservatory, was held in Finney Chapel in front of a small but enthusiastic crowd. Afterward, guests partook in wine, cheese and piano-shaped chocolates as they gathered to honor Wolff, who resigned her position in February. She had been dean since August, 1991.

A well-dressed crowd of mainly Conservatory faculty and students attended the reception, which was held at Carnegie's Root Room. Milling about, many attendees praised the quartet's performance and spoke of Wolff's time at Oberlin.

Two Oberlin alumni were very excited by the Quartet's performance, while at the same time saddened by Wolff's departure. "She was good for the Conservatory. We approve of her striving for excellency in terms of the quality of students and professors she brought there," said Robert Dudash, OC '61. "I feel the same is not true of the college."

His wife, Inge, OC '79, said, "The concert was beautiful. She strove for quality; to have that in her honor was an appropriate choice."

Senior Esther Noh expressed a similar opinion of the night. "I loved the concert. [The Quartet] were my chamber music coaches last year. They do things differently, not for the sake of being different, but due to their musical vision. Especially the encore," she said. The encore was a Tchaikovsky piece dedicated to Wolff.

Noh added, "It was a very nice send-off [for Wolff]. Of course, it is sad that she's leaving."

Still, some of the controversy behind Wolff's departure found its way to the reception as well. Two students, who wished to remain anonymous, said the reception smoothed over the questions which remain regarding Wolff's resignation.

One of them, a Conservatory sophomore, said, "I'm unhappy with the reception. It's a way to glaze over the situation to make it appear peaceful and expected when no one is saying such. All the people who speak with her are very sad."

"No one feels comfortable. Everyone feels traumatic," he said.