Antonín Dvořák: Cypresses Mvts. I & XI
Lembit Beecher (b. 1980): These Memories May Be True
Jean Sibelius: String Quartet “Voces Intimae”
Komitas Vartabed: Armenian Folk Songs
An exciting new quartet find for me. I hope you enjoy them!
May is String Quartet Month: Monday Music: Kronos Quartet: Terry Riley’s “Sun Rings: Beebopterismo”
While I owned my own record store and tried to make the classical section as diverse and robust as the jazz section (I succeeded physically but never sales wise), I started to really dig into late 20th Century music and of course that meant experiencing the Kronos Quartet. So today the Kronos is our Monday Music May’s String Quartet!
and if Terry Riley isn’t your cup of tea, try an encore feature: from NPR 40th anniversary concert
The band began its set with a soulful rendition of “House of the Rising Sun,” in which lead violinist David Harrington belted out like a blues singer. Then, in a hair-raising arrangement by Jacob Garchik, music by the young Egyptian electro-folk artist Islam Chipsy ricocheted in frenetic waves.
Written for Kronos’ open access education initiative Fifty for the Future and called “Zaghlala,” the piece had not been heard by any audience anywhere. The music refers to blurred vision caused by strong light hitting the eyes. Kronos’ violist Hank Dutt drove the pulsating beat, swapping his viola for the Middle Eastern dumbek. Kronos also conjured up Gershwin’s “Summertime,” inspired, Harrington noted, by Janis Joplin’s mesmerizing version.
Finally, at the end, came the Wilco moment.
May is String Quartet Month: Monday Music: Fine Arts Quartet: Saint-Saens: Piano Quartet in B-Flat Major, Op. 41: I. Allegretto
I’ve decided to make May 2021 String Quartet Month here at An Intuitive Perspective. I’ve been enjoying any number of virtual string quartet concerts over the past fall and winter and thought it would be fun to share! And over the past two decades or so of my musical listening, I’ve been tending toward chamber music in general.
And my first offering is by the Fine Arts Quartet. This group is near and dear to me. When I first moved to Milwaukee to attend the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, they were in residence there. At the time I was more than aware of classical music but the BIG Orchestral pieces. Chamber music in general and string quartets in particular were pretty much unknown. And then I heard the FAQ in concert on campus and eventually satisfied one of the music requirements for my BFA by attending their chamber music in performance class. What an amazing experience…
So my inaugural May is String Quartet Month feature:
btw: back when I was in the record business, May was Montovani month according to the London Records ads in the Schwann Catalog. LOL!
and just in case you need an encore by the FAQ: Cesar Franck String Quartet in D Major, M. 9: I. Poco lento – Allegro: