The Da Vinci Quartet performed a concert of “Serious Rhythms” that included compositions by Beethoven, Jalbert and DvorCB!k last Wednesday at the Newman Center.
The Da Vinci Quartet is a group of artists-in-residence at the Lamont School of Music at University of Denver. Its members include Jerilyn Jorgensen and Susan Jensen, violinists, Leslie Perna, violist, and Katharine Knight, cellist.
Before the quartet performed each piece, one of the musicians gave background information about it.
The first piece was Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 11 in F minor, Op. 95 “Serioso,” which was composed in 1810. The entire composition had a dramatic quality and showed the dark side of Beethoven’s talents. The piece’s first movement, “Allegro con brio,” was intense with moments that were soothing and melodic.
The players were engrossed in the music-their job, their life. They looked serious. Sometimes, they would even move their heads and bodies along with the beat.
The recital hall was so quiet that the only thing that was heard besides the music was the breathing of the musicians, which was loud, almost as if they needed to take deep breaths to play, as if playing was a physical workout.
The second movement, “Allegretto ma non troppo,” began smoothly and was pleasing to the ear. It was soft and loud at the same time.
The third movement, “Allegro assai vivace, ma serioso,” started off slowly and softly and then grew faster and louder.
The last movement, “Larghetto espressivo – Allegretto agitato – Allegro,” gave a positive ending to the entire composition.
The next composition was Pierre Jalbert’s String Quartet No. 1, which was composed in 1995. Jalbert’s composition was inspired by the music he enjoyed in his childhood: popular, jazz and classical. The first movement, “Intense, Dramatic,” was filled with loud and harsh sounds that didn’t flow together. The high pitched screeching of the violins contrasted greatly with the lows of the cello.
The second movement, “Barbaric, Driving; Scherzando,” was similar to the first movement, but it also included sounds like an electric guitar.The last movement, “Distant, Sustained,” was slower, softer and even more somber than the first two movements.
The last piece the quartet played was actually a quintet composed by DvorCB!k in 1893. Guest violist, Margaret Miller, joined the group to perform String Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 97, which is considered the “American Quintet.”
The first movement, “Allegro non tanto,” had influences of African American and Native American folk music as well as a traditional classical quality.
The second movement, “Allegro vivo,” also had a traditional quality and was lively and fast paced. The third movement, Larghetto, was slower and smoother in the way that it flowed.
The last movement, Finale: “Allegro giusto,” sped up the pace and ended the entire concert on an uplifting note.
