Chiara String Quartet. Photo by Lisa-Marie Mazzucco
This Friday, May 6, the Chiara Quartet will perform our final concert as the 2015–16 Quartet in Residence at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. We chose a killer program for the occasion, which will pair Beethoven's String Quartet No. 12 in E-flat Major, Op. 127, with Schubert's "Death and the Maiden" quartet. Both of these powerhouse works were composed at the end of their respective composer's life, and each represents a pinnacle of compositional prowess and emotional depth. It's a program we have been dreaming about for ages, and it is a complete understatement to say we are excited to present this at The Met.
Performing at the Museum this season has allowed us to connect our audience to a wide variety of works, ranging from the New York premiere of Jefferson Friedman's Piano Quintet, with Simone Dinnerstein, to the complete quartets of Johannes Brahms, as well as the music of Bela Bartók and Gabriela Lena Frank. Presenting new and inventive programming is the core of what we do as a quartet, and having a chance to bring these new classics, alongside old favorites, to New York is a dream.
Outside of the music making, one of my favorite aspects of the residency was the chance to see the underground tunnels of The Met, where the armor conservation shop lives, where all must "Yield to Art in Transit," and where historical photos of the many lives that have passed through the Museum over the years hang on the walls. This season-long residency has also given us a chance to explore the Museum as tourists and reconnect with the amazing array of exhibitions.
In a sense, this final program captures the feelings we have as we conclude our residency. The Beethoven string quartet is glorious, reveling in pure excitement in the outer movements. The second movement is a theme and variations, and each variation presents a new idea like each individual gallery presents in The Met. Beethoven leads us gently by the hand through an exquisite history with a wide variety of art to experience, providing a wistful, nostalgic quality to the music that is unmistakable. The Schubert piece has a similar form and excitement but its more dramatic, and perhaps captures some of the terror of presenting music to an audience on such an important stage.
Of course, this will not be the last time we return to The Met. We're already dreaming, along with Limor Tomer, of the kinds of exciting programs on which we can collaborate again in following seasons—so stay tuned, and see you on May 6!
To purchase tickets to Chiara String Quartet's upcoming performance or any other MetLiveArts event, visit www.metmuseum.org/tickets; call 212-570-3949; or stop by the Great Hall Box Office, open Monday–Saturday, 11 am–3:30 pm.
Related Links
MetLiveArts Blog: "Brahms by Heart: Introducing the Chiara String Quartet" (October 2, 2015)
MetMedia: Brahms by Heart: The Complete String Quartets (Recorded October 2, 2015)
MetMedia: Piano Quintets: Brahms and Friedman with Pianist Simone Dinnerstein (Recorded November 13, 2015)