Concert Report The Amenda Quartet - 935 Words

Concert Report #3: The Amenda Quartet November 6, 2015, the Amenda Quartet performed at RIT as part of the Performing Arts Program, with a program of three classical pieces by age-defining composers: W.A. Mozart and L.V. Beethoven. Two string quartets and a piano concerto, though not as well-known as other pieces by those composers, nevertheless are stellar musical works, well on the quality level a modern listener came to expect from the classical era. The first piece, String Quartet in F minor, op. 95, by L.V. Beethoven in four movements, is one of the shortest and most compact Beethoven’s quartets, and is often referred to as ‘Serioso’. The first movement, Allegro con brio, is unique, in a sense that it does not maintain a constant†¦show more content†¦What it lacks in size, however, it compensates in quality and complexity -- a very fast, cheerful, and technically advanced movement brings a worthy finale to an already impressive work of art. The secon d piece is Concerto â„â€"12 in A major for Piano, K. 414, by W.A. Mozart, in three movements. For this piece, the quartet grew in numbers, bringing a piano and a gigantic bass from the backstage, which greatly enhanced an already rich sound. The first movement, Allegro, is an experimental mix of a piano concerto and a sonata: the structure remains as the sonata form (Fast-Slow-Fast movements), yet the interaction between the piano and the quartet is reminiscent of concertos. Specifically, in the first movement, the ‘solo’ instrument does not play for a while -- a standard concerto move. Besides that, the tune is a stellar example of Mozart’s style -- a light, cheerful, elegant, and ethereal melody, embodies a pinnacle of musical perfection, not only for the first movement, but for the whole piece. Interesting and unusual features of the first movement include frequent, fast, and incredibly technical piano arpeggios, and bass plucking, as well as a continuously reappearing idea. The second movement, Andante, is the exact opposite of the first movement, as expected if the piece follows the sonata form. The movement is slow, melodic, peaceful, and lets the listener fully enjoy Mozart’s melody writing genius. The piano steps in later in the movement, resuming the