Castalian String Quartet at Alfred Hertz Memorial Concert Hall, March 19, 2023

Cal Performances presents Castalian String Quartet
Alfred Hertz Memorial Concert Hall
U.C. Berkeley, 101 Cross-Sproul Path, Berkeley, CA 94704 USA
3:00 PM, Sunday, March 19, 2023

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[3:05 PM] {lights down, performers out}

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732–1809): String Quartet in D major, Op. 20, No. 4 (1772)

1. [3:06 PM] Allegro di molto
   [3:15 PM] {long pause for late-comers to be seated}
2. [3:16 PM] Un poco adagio affettuoso
3. [3:26 PM] Allegretto alla zingarese
4. [3:28 PM] Presto (scherzando)
   [3:33 PM] {applause at work end; all off…}

[3:34 PM] {performers back for the next work}
[3:35 PM] {SS preview talk}

1. [3:39 PM] Kaija Saariaho (b. 1952): Terra Memoria (2006)
   [3:57 PM] {set ends}

[4:11 PM] {lights down, performers out}

Franz Schubert (1797–1828): String Quartet No. 15 in G major, D. 887 (1826)

1. [4:12 PM] Allegro molto moderato
2. [4:26 PM] Andante un poco moto
3. [4:39 PM] Scherzo: Allegro vivace
4. [4:46 PM] Allegro assai
   [4:57 PM] {applause at work end; all off}
   [4:58 PM] {back for more bows; all off once more: no encore!}
   [4:59 PM] {show ends}

Castalian String Quartet

• Ruth Gibson: viola;
• Christopher Graves: cello;
• Daniel Roberts: violin;
• Sini Simonen: violin. ## Notes

While I really enjoyed today's opener, the other two works on the program were less satisfactory to me. I found Saariaho's piece to be overly long – and once I lost interest, it was just random sound collages without obvious narrative motion. Similarly, the Schubert piece outlasted my interest: too much wheedle-deedle dee (or something like that). Being more compact, I thought the third movement was just about perfect: you heard an interesting theme, then development, followed by a brief tangent, and closing with recapitulation that happened before you had time to forget the first theme.

While the Castalian String Quartet was formed in 2011, this was the first time they attracted my notice. First time in California? Maybe… Would I see them again? “Yeah, sure!”, provided that the planned program was attractive enough to grab my attention.

Program Notes or program notes

Lisa Hirsch posted a review of the show at SFCV.

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2023 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2023 event list! ☸ On to the next event!