Rite of Summer Music Festival (9/10/22)

Sybarite5 

Groove Machine – Marc Mellits; Movement & Location – Punch Brothers (arr. Paul Kim); Yann’s Flight – Shawn Conley; Revolve – Radiohead (arr. Paul Kim); Three Armenian folk songs – Komitas; Con un nudo en la garganta – Pedro Giraudo; Slow Burn – Jessica Meyer ; My Desert, My Rose – Aleksandra Vrebalov 

Sybarite5 is a string quintet—a regular string quartet with a bass added. The music was mostly modern jazz. The first piece had driving rhythms from the get-go, with a mix of bowing and pizzicato (plucking). As I said, quite modern sounding. The second piece was very similar in style to the first, though it had an interesting solo cello line that was then passed around to the other players. 

The third was a gentler version of jazz that included more actual tunes. A middle section was a little more boisterous before returning to gentle. It went on a bit long, with a couple of phrases that sounded like they could be endings but weren’t, until one finally was. Revolve had lots of pizzicato playing in a modern jazz style again. Words that came to my mind were scattered, fractured, almost frantic, and ... lengthy. 

The three Armenian folk songs were introduced by the cellist, who informed us that this concert was her first with the group, as she recently joined them. I only caught the names of the first two—Red Shawl and Spring. The first had a lovely and lilting opening that carried through the entire piece, even when it built in intensity and tempo. The second was mysterious and moody, a haunting not-quite-dirge. The third was cheery and bright even though it was set in a minor key. These were my favorites of the afternoon. 

The sixth piece had a title that translates into “With a Knot in Your Throat.” It was gently dance-like, but gentle in a strong way before veering into almost frantic and finishing that way. The seventh piece was composed for this group, and had modern sounds that didn’t quite do it for me. 

My Desert, My Rose opened with a bass solo, then added cello, viola, and violins (first, then second). Somber but not sad, it had a slow build in intensity, sort of like a single idea that stretched way out until it just stopped. 

The encore was Radiohead’s Weird Fishes, not that I recognized it at all. It also got the frantic modern jazz treatment. While not always my cup of tea, I’m still certainly glad that I attended the concert, the last of this season’s Rite of Summer. I’m pretty sure that I’ll be back next season as well.

ConcertMeister