An Intimate Version of Mozart
The Fine Arts Quartet and guests perform a unique, reduced version of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23.
Concert Details:
The Fine Arts Quartet returns to the UW-Milwaukee Zelazo Center this Sunday evening (a departure from their usual afternoon performances) for the second concert in the 2016-17 series. Their members are violinists Ralph Evans and Efim Boico, cellist Robert Cohen, and violist Juan-Miguel Hernandez. For this performance, they'll be joined by pianist Alon Goldstein and string bass player Rob Kassinger.
Goldstein, an accomplished concerto performer, has played with numerous prestigious orchestras worldwide, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, and the Israel Philharmonic. Kassinger, a bassist with the Chicago Symphony, is also a professor at DePaul University and a sought-after jazz player.
The Quartet and Goldstein have been collaborating for two years, creating chamber reductions of Mozart's piano concertos. Last year, they released a CD featuring Concertos No. 20 and 21, and a second CD featuring Concertos No. 23 and 24 will be recorded next May.
Musical Insights:
The addition of a bass player adds depth to the sound of the chamber strings. Evans and Boico carry the themes on violins, while the three lower registers – viola, cello, and bass – often provide a basso continuo-like foundation. The pianist must play with a light touch as he partners with a smaller group.
As Franz Schubert demonstrated in his String Quartet Op. 29 (“Rosamunde”), composers can draw on their existing melodies from songs and other works for their string chamber pieces.
The December 11 concert also includes:
- Dmitri Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 1, Op. 49 (1938): This work, characterized by elements of cheerfulness rare to Shostakovich, opens with a simple, syncopated motif that provides a buoyant counterpoint to the minor-key melody.
The concert begins at 7:30 p.m., with a pre-talk at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 ($5 students) and can be purchased online or by phone. Parking is available at the Zelazo Center and the Union parking garage across Kenwood Boulevard.
Upcoming Concert:
The Fine Arts Quartet's next concert, on February 26, will feature Shostakovich and two Mozart works, including the chamber version of Concerto No. 24.