This was a well-thought-out (if flawed) plan.
Ukrainian Institute of America
2 East 79th Street, NYC
Music on the Steps
Serenade for Strings in E Major. Op. 22 – I. Moderato; IV.
Larghetto; V. Finale: Allegro vivace – Antonin Dvorak
Four Seasons of Buenos Aires: Inverno Porteno (Winter) – Astor Piazzolla
Melody in A Minor (arranged for solo violin and string orchestra) – Myroslav
Skoryk
Concerto for Two Violins – J.S. Bach
The steps alluded to above are the steps of the Ukrainian
Institute. Here’s the deal. The musicians (nine string players that I heard)
played on the steps of the building (a mansion at Fifth Avenue and
Seventy-ninth Street). We, the audience, stood on the sidewalk. The buses and
street noise didn’t help, but we all made the most of it.
I adore the Dvorak Serenade. Here, the small ensemble played the
first movement with a gentle and lovely style, though it did build nicely. The
fourth movement was slow and sweet, poignant at times, with a slightly lively
middle section before returning to the slow tempo. The Finale was lively from
the get-go. It was a lot of fun, including bringing back themes from the
opening movement and then finishing with a flourish.
The Piazzolla was written in a style that I’ve heard referred to
as nuevo tango. Yes, there are the traditional tango rhythms, though expanded
in style. This one opened with a slightly moody feel. Then the tempo picked up
a bit, though still moody, bouncing back and forth.
I did not stay for the rest of the concert. The crowd had grown;
there was no way to social distance; and the 100%-masked audience became less
than 100%. That was not a risk I was willing to take. Even for live music.
As I said, a good (but flawed) experiment. If they do another
one, I’ll watch the live streaming. I won’t like it as much but I’ll feel safer
and healthier.
ConcertMeister
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