October 9, 2014
Last Saturday evening, music by Aaron Copland, Franz Joseph Haydn, Aaron Jay Kernis and Felix Mendelssohn filled Wellin Hall as the internationally acclaimed Lark String Quartet performed for a sizeable audience of Hamilton students, professors and local residents.
The stir of concert pamphlets and audience members taking their seats died down as the performers walked across the stage and tuned their instruments. The opening of the concert took the form of Copland’s “Two Pieces for String Quartet.” The lento molto movement flowed nicely into the lively rondino movement, during which each of the performer’s bodies seemed to pulse with the swells of sound. The sharp melodies created a folksy feel, and the way each musician raised her bow elegantly into the air after the last note of the rondino was a beautifully visual and musical way to end the piece. Trombone player Ben Schafer ’17 especially enjoyed the lento molto section of the Copland pieces, saying, “The first piece by Copland was rustic. I liked it.”
In preparation for playing “String Quartet in C major, Op. 20, No. 2” by Haydn, the second violinist and cellist switched places so that the two violinists were facing each other. Cellist Caroline Stinson explained to the audience that this early Hayden quartet was based on ventrifical writing in which the violins are meant to pass the melody back and forth. This also creates a different acoustic experience when music from the two violins comes from opposite sides of the room. The various octaves created a unique blending of sound when they came together, and it was exciting to watch the playful back and forth of the two violins, which seemed to musically converse with each other.
Again, it was obvious these musicians breathe and feel the music as they play it, as shown in their expressive body movements and musicality. A sweet melody interchanged with a rougher, deeper sound throughout the Adagio section. The Haydn piece ended with the “Fuga a 4 Soggetti,” during which the sound built from a slow tempo to fast and invigorating, the perfect way to leave the audience wanting to hear more right before breaking for intermission.
During intermission, audience member Heidi Von Vergen said, “I like how they did the Haydn. They played it well and really filled the space.” Chris Williams ’17, a member of the Hamilton Flute Ensemble, said he enjoyed the Haydn section of the program more than the first. “For me, the Copland didn’t have that quintessential Copland sound,” he explained.
The highlight of the concert occurred directly after the intermission, when the Quartet played one of its commissioned pieces by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Aaron Jay Kernis. Kernis originally dedicated “Sarabande Simple” to a close friend and then rewrote it to commemorate 9/11. The viola and second violin started the piece together, then were seamlessly joined by first the cello followed by the lead violin. Kathryn Lockwood on the viola played beautifully and expressively, and the cello solo added an ominous tone to the piece. All four quartet members made flawless transitions from smoother to harsher sounds, and the way the reverberations of the strings slowly faded out at the end of the piece brought tears to my eyes.
When asked about the Kernis piece, violinst Basia Danilow said, “The Lark has always been active in commissioning works...We often have guest artists play with us, including drummers and oral music crossovers.” Director of Orchestra and Chamber Music Heather Buchman said, “The Lark Quartet’s commitment to performing and recording American works is commendable…It’s great that they are actively engaging in the project of expanding the newer repertoire for string quartet.”
The concert finished with “Four Pieces for String Quartet, Op. 81” by Mendelssohn. These were originally written separately, then combined posthumously. The Andante started this section off with a light, airy feeling as well as a lovely solo on lead violin. The faster tempo of the Scherzo engaged the audience with its layered building of sounds over the course of the piece. The quartet then performed a unique interpretation of the Fugue. As Buchman explained, “Their tempo on the slow fugue was slower and more expansive than any recording I’ve heard. And in Wellin Hall, whose acoustic was designed for strings, the lines floated in the space in a way that made the hall truly another instrument being played.”
After the Fugue, the Capriccio included a booming, full sound from the cello and a lively second violin solo. As in the Haydn, the two violins seemed to answer to one another throughout the piece. When the musicians finished, they received a standing ovation from the audience for their performance.
The Lark Quartet, founded in 1985, has performed in various venues around the world, including Carnegie Hall, the Library of Congress, London’s Wigmore Hall and L’Opéra de la Bastille in Paris. The name “Lark,” while commonly thought to refer to the type of bird, is in fact an acronym for the first letters of each of the founding members’ names.
Its current members all have impressive repertoires of professional work outside of their work with the Lark Quartet. Deborah Buck on violin one has been the concertmaster of the Brooklyn Philharmonic for the last five years and is an assistant professor of violin at SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music. Ms. Danilow on violin two currently serves as concertmaster of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra and regularly performs with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Kathryn Lockwood, who plays the viola, teaches at UMass-Amherst and often returns to her homeland in Australia to teach at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music. Finally, cellist Caroline Stinson teaches cello and chamber music at Julliard School and is the co-Artistic Director of the Weekend of Chamber Music in New York with her husband.
As a non-profit organization, the quartet also works with community outreach initiatives, including the Lark About Town! program. This program features free concerts meant to be accessible to people of all ages in all types of communities. Lark About Town! especially aims to bring music to under-served neighborhoods in the tri-state area.
When asked about her overall impression of the concert, Buchman said, “It was such an amazing opportunity to hear a world-class string quartet with a very distinctive voice.” This group is obviously not afraid to combine classical pieces with newer repertoire, resulting in varied and exciting programs that continue to excite audiences across the country and the world.
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