Preparations are steadily underway for our concert on November 8!
For this concert, in addition to our usual large string ensemble, we will be taking on a new challenge: two string quartets and one string trio.
This is the first time we have created small, string-only groups specifically to explore chamber music together.
Some groups came together because a member said, “I would really like to play this piece!” Others were formed by thinking about which piece would suit a particular combination of players:
“What about this piece for this group?”
Little by little, the groups and their repertoire have taken shape through the members’ ideas, interests, and enthusiasm for making music together.
The pieces we will be performing are:
🎻 Mozart String Quartet No. 14 “Spring”
🎻 Handel String Quartet “Arrival of the Queen of Sheba”
🎻 Haydn Trio No. 39 “Gypsy”
They are all wonderfully distinctive pieces, and I am very excited to hear how each group brings its own character to the music.
After starting our rehearsals, we have discovered a different kind of enjoyment from playing in a small ensemble.
Compared with a large string ensemble, there is much more opportunity to listen closely to one another and talk about the details of the music:
How should we pass the musical line from one player to another?
Who shares the same rhythm?
Who leads, and who supports?
What kind of musical character do we want to create?
These conversations make our rehearsals even more engaging and rewarding. 🎵
There is something special about the musical give-and-take of chamber music. Each player’s sound and personality can be heard more closely, and every member has an important role in shaping the music together.
I hope this new experience will bring our members new discoveries and an even deeper enjoyment of making music.
I am very much looking forward to seeing—and hearing—what kind of music these new ensembles will create on November 8!
🎻✨