string quartet festival
day one
Like painting, the string quartet endures. Composers keep finding new colors.
Thomas Adès (1971-), Arcadiana (1994)
Danish String Quartet, live, New York, 2015
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
More beauty?
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937), String Quartet in F major (1903); Sacconi Quartet, live, London, 2015
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lagniappe
reading table
The snow is melting
and the village is flooded
with children.—Kobayashi Issa, 1763-1827 (translated from Japanese by Robert Haas)
another take
Once I enter this world I never want to leave.
Morton Feldman (1926-1987; MCOTD Hall of Fame), Piano and String Quartet (1985); Musica Nova Consort, live, Israel (Tel Aviv), 2017
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lagniappe
reading table
Going home,
the horse stumbles
in the winter wind.—Yosa Buson, 1716-1784 (translated from Japanese by Robert Hass)
love it or hate it
Brian Ferneyhough (1943-), String Quartet No. 6 (2010); Arditti Quartet, live, 2010
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, San Francisco (Lands End)
*****
*****
One-word review: Wow!
Benjamin Britten (1913-1976), Lachrymae (1950); Yuri Bashmet (viola), Sviatoslav Richter (piano), live
Think you’ve heard it all?
How about a septet with six string players and a drummer?
Tomeka Reid Septet,* “Tokens” (T. Reid), New York, 2017
*TR, cello, composition; Christopher Hoffman, cello; Mazz Swift, violin; Sarah Bernstein, violin; Jason Kao Hwang, viola; Adam Hopkins, bass; Tomas Fujiwara, drums, percussion.
tomorrow night
They’re playing at the University of Chicago—Bartok and Ligeti.
Wolfgang Rihm (1952-), String Quartet No. 13
Arditti Quartet, live, London, 2012
what’s new
Danish String Quartet, “Shine You No More” (R. T. Sørensen), Last Leaf (2017)
like nobody else
Anthony Braxton Accelerator Ghost Trance Septet (AB, reeds, composition; Taylor Ho Bynum, trumpet, flugelhorn; Jessica Pavone, viola; Chris Dahlberg, bass, cello; Mary Halvorson, guitar; Jay Rozen, tuba; Aaron Siegel, drums, percussion, vibraphone), live, Spain (San Sebastian), 2008
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lagniappe
random sights
this morning, outside Chicago (Forest Park)
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random thoughts
Aging criminal-defense lawyer’s retirement plan: drop dead at my desk.
more
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Clarinet Quintet in A major; Hagen Quartet with Sabine Meyer (clarinet), live
1st movt.
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2nd movt.
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3rd movt.
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4th movt.
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lagniappe
musical thoughts
Mozart was a kind of idol to me—this rapturous singing . . . that’s always on the edge of sadness and melancholy and disappointment and heartbreak, but always ready for an outburst of the most delicious music.
—Saul Bellow (1915-2005)
(Taking a break—back in a while.)
music clip of the day 