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Philomusica Quartet
Philomusica Quartet’s program “European Sampler” provides a delightful way to make a musical Grand Tour of Europe, listening to compositions from the 19th and early 20th centuries by composers from Italy, Austria and France.
Philomusica was formed in 2008 by violinists Jeanyi Kim and Alexander Mandl, violist Nathan Hackett, and cellist Adrien Zitoun as an outlet for sharing and expressing their love of chamber music. Kim, Hackett and Zitoun are members of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Mandl is the concertmaster for several regional symphony orchestras besides being a member of the music faculty at UW-Parkside, Wisconsin Lutheran College and the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. Hackett and Zitoun also teach at Wisconsin Lutheran College.
For this concert, MSO violinist Alex Ayers will step in for Mandl who is recovering from a minor medical procedure. He will return for their season closer in April.
The program begins with Antonio Bazzini’s String Quartet No. 2 in D Minor Opus 75. Bazzini was born in Brescia in 1818 in the northwest region of what is now Italy. He was encouraged by Paganini and began his concert career at 18. Both a composer and perhaps the finest violinist of the 19th century, he lived in Germany from 1841-1845 and was admired by Schumann and Mendelssohn both as a violinist and composer. He returned to Italy where he composed for and promoted quartet societies. In 1873 he became a professor of composition at the Milan Conservatory where he taught Mascagni and Puccini. His chamber music, written in the classical German style, is considered his best work. He was a central figure in Italian instrumental renaissance of the 19th century.
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Hackett offered these insights: “Bazzini was more renowned as a violin virtuoso than a composer. He was even highly regarded by the greatest violinist of that period (and perhaps of all time) Niccolo Paganini. Of his many compositions his chamber music is considered his best work and is really all that gets performed, though it is still rare to hear.
“I love the dramatic feel of the piece, it strikes me as being very operatic, in the Rossini vein. And with all of Bazzini’s violin virtuoso credentials one might expect his quartet would be nothing more than an extended violin solo with meek accompaniment. Happily that is not the case as both lyrical and intricate, virtuosic elements are evenly shared amongst the instruments.”
Some Serious Beethoven
Bazzini’s quartet will be followed by Ludwig van Beethoven’s String Quartet in F Minor Opus 95 “Serioso.” Beethoven’s quartet was written in 1810 while he was living in Vienna. Napolean had just invaded the previous year and all of his aristocratic friends had fled the city. He titled the work “Quartetto Serioso” and also marked the tempo of the third movement Serioso. It’s the last of the middle quartets and hints at the techniques and tonalities he used later in his life. It is quite dramatic and one you will remember for a long time. You’ll need the intermission that follows to recover. This is Beethoven!
Kim commented: “It has been a pleasure to revisit Beethoven's Serioso Quartet! The whole work is only 18 minutes long, but it's a brilliant musical snapshot of Beethoven's turbulent and emotional inner world, encompassing all of his stormy distress and agitation and melancholy, but also the introspective and searching beauty that foreshadows the cosmic scope of the late quartets. Beethoven always pushed the boundaries of the traditional forms, and this composition is no exception. Despite its "serioso" character, his indomitable spirit prevails in the end.”
Romantic Quartet
After the intermission, on to France for Maurice Ravel’s String Quartet in F Major. This wonderfully romantic quartet was composed in 1903 when he was 28. Ravel was a student at the Paris Conservatoire where he was encouraged by his teacher and friend Gabriel Fauré. While there are similarities to Debussy’s quartet composed ten years earlier, Ravel returned to the traditional classical form. The themes are hauntingly romantic, and you’ll find yourselves humming them on the way home.
Kim offered this analysis: “The more music I play of Ravel, the more I realize what a master he was. Although he worked within traditional forms, the many textures, moods, and colors he achieves with his own musical language beguile us as he seamlessly paints the soundscape. The Aeolian modality and syncopated cross rhythms in the second movement captivate the ear and infuse it with an exotic, far Eastern flavor. As we move along, the cyclic themes return in different guises and moods. The third movement is contemplative, and almost improvisatory in mood, while the finale is high octane and driving with jarring 5/8 meters and displacements. It's both technically challenging and thrilling to play!”
Philomusica Quartet is resident at Wisconsin Lutheran College and the concert is in the acoustically wonderful Schwan Hall on campus. They will perform “European Sampler” 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 10 at Wisconsin Lutheran College Schwan Hall, 8819 W. Bluemound Road.
Ticket information and directions to the auditorium can be found on the Wisconsin Lutheran College website: wlc.edu/Philomusica-String-Quartet.
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