Metropolitan Playhouse
presented
Iris String Quartet
 |
| Photo Credit: Agnieszka N. |
YIBIN LI, Violin
MUNEYOSHI TAKAHASHI, Violin
ENTELA BARCI, Viola
SEAN KATSUYAMA, Cello
December 16, 2016
220 East 4th Street between Avenues A and
B
Metropolitan Playhouse located
in the East Village was pleased to present the IRIS STRING QUARTET in a concert of major works by Ravel and
Shubert, along with the World Premiere of MICHAEL
KOSCH'S Giotto (selections) for violin solo. The program included: Maurice Ravel’s Sonata
for Violin and Cello; Franz Schubert’s String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor, D.810
“Death and the Maiden”; and, Kosch's world premiere.
The Iris Quartet has played in most of
New York's finest venues like Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully, Steinway, Merkin, and
Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center so it was a pleasant surprise to listen to
them in a small chamber; especially, for the classical chamber music lover.
Apparently, the quartet is named after the Greek goddess of the rainbow. These
young musicians come from different countries (Albania, China, and Japan) and
some were educated at Juilliard and others at respective renowned schools in
their country of origin as well as having trained with the masters in their
field.
The Iris Quartet was excited to lead off a fifth season of concerts in this
award-winning theater that is an integral part of the East Village theater
scene. Metropolitan Playhouse was also delighted to present the Iris String
Quartet as part of the MUSIC AT METROPOLITAN series in its intimate downtown
home, whose acoustics and size are ideally suited to chamber concerts and solo
artists' recitals.
The concert began with a lovely surprise Bach violin solo by Muneyoshi Takahashi.
Maurice
Ravel’s (1875-1937) Sonata followed and was a very interesting choice made
by Yibin Li. It almost sounded as
though it were composed for the 21st century and yet it was composed
between 1920-24. It flirted with avant-garde approaches linked to Stravinsky
and Schoenberg and its astringent harmonies sounded like what we regard as avant-garde
jazz today. This was very different than the Classical Ravel that I’m
accustomed to and which defined this Frenchman’s work.
Kosch's
(b. 1959) world premiere was next which was inspired by Giotto di Bondone
(1267-1337), a Florentine painter and architect who was considered one of the
first great artists of the Italian Renaissance. Kosch is known to compose his
works inspired by great artists with the idea that art inspires musical
composition.
After a short intermission, the quartet
finished with another interesting choice—Franz
Shubert’s (1797-1828) “Death and the
Maiden”. Ms. Li explained that this
string quartet was composed while Shubert was dying so it felt like the notes
were between life and death, but more like celebrating the last moments of his
life. Shubert’s music influenced by the Romantic movement sounded poignant and
rapturous.
After the intimate and romantic
performance, there was a lovely reception whereby all the audience members
could meet the musicians and the composer, Kosch, which led to interesting
conversations.
By
Laura Thompson
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