Béla
Bartók (1881–1945),
& others, Lullabies for Children, Sz. 42 (1908–9, rev. 1943)
Bartók, For Children, Sz. 42; I. Andante grazioso; II. Vivace; Arrorró,
Traditional Lullaby (Berber / Canary Islands / Latin America); Bartók,
For Children, Sz. 42; IV. Allegro Robusto; III. Moderato Sostenuto; “My Darling
Isabelle,” by Emily Irons; Bartók,
For Children, Sz. 42; V. Allegretto; VI. Kánon: Vivace risoluto; Nen nen
korori, Traditional Japanese (Edo
region); Bartók, For Children, Sz. 42; VIII. Allegro giocoso
Franghiz Ali-Zadeh (1947–), Shyshtar: Metamorphoses for String
Orchestra
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827), String Quartet No. 16 in F
Major, Op. 135 (1826)
III. Lento assai, cantante e tranquillo
Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904), Serenade
for Strings in E Major, Op. 22
Moderato; Tempo di Valse; Scherzo: Vivace; Larghetto; Finale: Allegro
vivace
Karl Doty (1985–), Castles
A few words of
introduction/explanation. A Far Cry is a Boston-based, conductor-free
cooperative performance group. All of the members are equal, and contribute
ideas about repertoire, programming, leadership for individual pieces—I guess
you get my drift. Tuesday evening’s Central Park concert featured 18 string
players, all of whom stood at their music stands (except for the three
cellists). On to the music.
The lullabies were ten very short
pieces. It was sometimes difficult to discern the different movements, but I
think I nailed it. My descriptions will also be short. The first was folk-like,
in a 4/4 meter. The second had a rumbling of background string sounds against a
solo violin, all in a slow triple meter, then a gentle 4/4, while the third had
a Latin flair. The fourth was livelier; the fifth was gentle. The sixth opened
with a viola solo that was then supported by the entire group. The seventh was
richer and fuller, though still gentle, and segued into the eighth which was
livelier again. The ninth had low strings, then a high violin added. It was
gentle, with an Asian flair, and nice pizzicato (plucked strings) playing—a little lengthier, but
that’s not a bad thing in a work with so many short movements. The final Bartok
movement was jolly without being raucous—it’s a lullabye after all—and ended
with a nice little flourish.
The second work on the program was
modern sounding, and opened with a solo cello phrase. Then the entire ensemble
(a slightly smaller force than in the first work) joined in. I got a sense of
wandering or a winding path. A rhythmic section followed, reminding me a bit of
a film score. It included rhythmic vocal sounds added (think, “Mambo!” in the
West Side Story symphonic dances), then a more serene section. Overall, the
piece was pleasant but it didn’t really move me.
The Beethoven was a single movement
of a string quartet, arranged for this group. It had a soft, slow opening that
morphed into a pretty tune—lovely and a bit haunting. As a standalone, it was
interesting. It made me wonder how well it actually fits into the string
quartet as a whole.
I’m a big fan of the Dvorak serenade.
The first movement was sweet and lilting, almost-but-not-quite sad—hope was
there, too. A fuller, richer section followed, then ending softly. The second
was a waltz from the get-go, and very pretty it was. Jaunty, with strong
chords, in minor, that ended the first section. A calmer second section
followed, sort of contemplative, then a classic return to the opening section,
ending with strong chords in major this time. The third movement was lively,
bright, and fun, with a nice slower section that followed, sweet but without
being cloying. Then the tempo picked up again becoming downright jolly. After a
slight lull, there was a flourish to finish the movement. The fourth was slow,
bordering on sad, but with that underlying hope we’d heard in the first
movement. The tempo quickened just a bit, then back to subdued. The fifth movement.
Oh, my. Bright and fun with lots of forward movement. Did I mention fun? After
a return to some themes from the first movement, embellished, it was off to the
races for a fine finish.
Castles gave me the feeling of a folk song.
Sort of a contemporary folk song, with an Irish/Scottish lilt. The score called
for the instrumentalists to add some choral “ah”s that were interesting. It was
a nice enough piece with some charm, and a pleasant enough way to end a fun
concert.
This was the third of five Naumburg
concerts for the summer season. I plan on being at the next two.
ConcetMeister
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