#tokyo string quartet

Dos quintetos de Brahms, para clarinete y para piano, por el Tokyo String Quartet y compañía.

Beethoven, Quartet, Op. 131 in C-Sharp  -I- Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo

At Llewellyn Hall on June 6th 2013, the Tokyo String Quartet performed their last concert together. They played works by Mozart, Sculthorpe, and Schubert, brilliantly. Their playing was engaging, and full of energy. It was easy to sit back in the audience and become engrossed in their musical world.

Of the pieces, the Sculthorpe, called “String Quartet no. 16” was perhaps the most interesting. The sounds coming out of the instruments were truly unique, and sounded like nature. The Mozart, which was the “Hoffmeister” quartet, was very long and slow in places, but beautiful, and very good. The 1st movement in particular was a stand out. The Schubert String Quartet was the no. 15 in G Major. They really played up for this piece, like they realised it was their last performance together, and it was very moving. The total length of these pieces was just a little too long for one sitting, although excellent.

It was really nice to be a part of an audience with a great variety of ages, from as young as 7 years to much older.

Being familiar with some of the pieces, hearing them live was like hearing a new piece of music, so much more engaging than just on a recording. The sound of the group was also incredible. It was like they were amplified, there was so much sound for only four people.

Overall, the concert was really brilliant, and a wonderful event.

MUSIC TO INSPIRE: INSPIRED BY...

For me, music is inspiring. It is breathing, as the power of music to animate, enliven and exalt is as essential to life as oxygen. What I find difficult is transforming that inspiration, a quite abstract idea into a concrete thought. I’m sure I’m not the only one who struggles to put into words how amazing and transforming they found a particular performance, or even why they preferred one concert to another. It just is.

I wonder how our Musica Viva audiences  have been inspired by our concerts, programs  and Festivals? What has been created as a result of this inspiration? I would like to find out. But first, let me share with you how the preparations for the Tokyo String Quartet concert have inspired me.

In Canberra, the Musica Viva team is lucky to have our office in the Belconnen Arts Centre. Located next to Lake Gininderra, we are surrounded by sparkling water, leafy trees and a constant stream of people cycling and walking around the lake. Inside, we are treated to a smorgasbord of art; exhibitions and installations change regularly and yoga and dance classes fill the dance studio.

Anne McMahon works in the office next door to me.  Anne is an artist, a textile genius and weaver extraordinaire; she exudes creativity and is an endless stream of creative energy. Working for Arts for All, Anne and her colleagues work with community organisations to deliver projects with a focus on inclusivity.

Most recently, Anne has been preparing an installation as part of Terrain at Strathnairn, a local arts Association which has grown into a strong community of artists working in diverse mediums. 

TERRAIN is a multi-layered project of selected land art installations which invited community groups to interpret the environment around Strathnairn. Anne’s submission was to create a community of dolls, using found and natural materials, each unique in their construction.

Anne, my crafty friend Sophie and I embarked on creating a tribute to the great Tokyo String Quartet as an offering to this installation. What started as a pile of sticks, leaves, palm fronds and other ‘found’ materials slowly grew into our interpretation of the quartet members. Anne shared with us a range of techniques; lashing, twining, wrapping, weaving which once combined with our creativity and artistic ideas morphed into the Tokyo String Quartet.

Once they have finished hanging out at Strathnairn, the Tokyo String Quartet and their new friends will be joining us at the Canberra Concert, June 6 at Llewellyn Hall. Make sure you keep an eye out for the products of Inspired by . . , what I hope will be the first of many collaborations between the Canberra Musica Viva team and our talented local arts community.

We often ask musicians and composers about their sources of inspiration, and now we would like to ask you, our audience. We would love to hear how you have been inspired by Musica Viva and what you have created. Music, painting, sculpture, cakes or crocheted tea cosies, who knows when inspiration will strike and what form it will take!