Metropolitan Playhouse presented
IRIS STRING QUARTET
with
YIBIN LI, Violin
MUNEYOSHI TAKAHASHI, Violin
ENTELA BARCI, Viola
SEAN KATSUYAMA, Cello
December 8, 2015
220 East
4th Street between Avenues A and B
Metropolitan Playhouse
located in the East Village was pleased to present the IRIS
STRING QUARTET in a concert of major works by Mendelssohn and Haydn,
along with the World Premiere of MICHAEL KOSCH'S Strokes of Sky: Paris. The
program included: Joseph Haydn, String Quartet in B Flat major, Op. 76, No. 4
"Sunrise," Felix Mendelssohn, String Quartet in D Major, Op. 44, No. 1 'The
American," and Kosch's world premiere.
The Iris Quartet has played in
most of New York's finest venues like Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully, Steinway,
Merkin, and Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center so it was a pleasant surprise to
listen to them in a small chamber; especially, for the classical chamber music
lover. Apparently, the quartet is named after the Greek goddess of the rainbow.
These young musicians come from different countries and some were educated at
Juilliard and others at respective renowned schools in their country of origin
as well as having trained with the masters in their field.
Haydn's
"Sunrise" was symbolic of the Age of Enlightenment and was played with utmost
seriousness. Kosch's world premiere followed and is the first of a four-part
quartet inspired by Vincent Van Gogh's latest works while in France with the
idea that art inspires musical composition. If the intention was to portray
bustling city streets and contemporary life, it succeeded. Actually, it looked
difficult for the musicians to perform so was that the composer's intention or
does it need to be improved?
After a short intermission, the quartet
finished with a beautiful rendition of Mendelssohn that was music to the ears
and played with confidence and expertise. This energetic string quartet unfolded
in pleasing, sweet melodious patterns. It was my favorite piece. Mendelssohn was
an icon of Romanticism and died at the age of 38. This energetic string quartet
unfolded in pleasing, sweet melodious patterns.
For more information
about the Metropolitan Playhouse, visit
www.metropolitanplayhouse.org.
For more information about
the Iris String Quartet, visit
www.irisquartet.com.
By
Laura Thompson
www.loralia.com