By Joe Hadsall
jhadsall@joplinglobe.com
Though Czech music has a rich tradition of well-known compositions, a string quartet from the Czech Republic will present hidden gems during an upcoming concert.
The Zemlinsky Quartet will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday at First Community Church, 2007 E. 15th St., as part of the Pro Musica Joplin season. The quartet will play a program that includes a rare selection from Mozart, a meditation on an old Czech chorale and a piece by Alexander von Zemlinsky, the composer for whom the quartet is named.
“This piece (‘String Quartet No. 1 A Major Op. 4’) is important for us,” said violist Petr Holman. “We play all of his quartets, but this one is the only one based on a romantic period of time. It’s very beautiful, but not well known.”
The Mozart piece is “String Quartet E flat major,” a piece that Holman says the quartet enjoys.
And “Meditation on an Old Czech Chorale ‘St. Wenceslas,’” by Joseph Suk, is a piece as laden with history as it is beauty, Holman said.
At the turn of the century, it was customary for orchestras to play an anthem. But in 1918, the political ramifications of World War I left tradition tenuous. Suk adapted his piece based on the chorale and played it instead of the anthem.
Holman, violinists Frantisek Soucek and Petr Strizek and cellist Vladimir Fortin play with what Cynthia Schwab, artistic director of Pro Musica, calls a “lyrical, expressive style.”
It’s a sound that commands a lot of the quartet’s attention in rehearsal, Holman said.
“The listener needs to hear one music coming from the stage, not four voices,” Holman said. “It’s an important difference.”
The quartet has been together since 1994. It won second place in the Banff International String Quartet competition in 2007, and first prize in the Beethoven International Competition of 1999.
It performs regularly across the world and records for Czech TV and Czech Radio.
The quartet was named for the composer Zemlinsky, who holds an important place in Czech history, Holman said. In the years surrounding World War I, relations were strained between the Czechs and the Germans. Theaters were divided and played music only of the chosen nationality.
At least they were until the Vienna-born Zemlinsky came along, Holman said.
“He worked in a German theater that played only German music,” Holman said. “He also managed in the end to premiere large works in Prague.”
Admission to Thursday’s performance is free and open to the public.
Enjoy
Related Photos
Discussion
Quartet to feature a few hidden gems
- Enjoy
-
-
Love of big band era leads to creation of musical revue
Cecie Fritz doesn’t just listen to swing music. She feels it. The sound of the big band era resonates with her. It triggers cherished memories and pleasant thoughts. It sounds, just, happy.
-
Pittsburg troupe presents ‘The Glass Menagerie’
It’s performed by one of the smallest casts in recent Pittsburg Community Theatre history, but “The Glass Menagerie” will be no less impactful, says Director Linden Little.
-
Concept for new studio forged by fire
Heather Grills was tired of having to drive all the way to Nixa to pick up her favorite clay sculpture supplies. She had even tried to form a communal studio in Joplin with other artists.
-
Comedy offers killer antics
“Tomb with a View” delves into the antics of the Tomb family, first explored in “Tiptoe through the Tombstones” a couple of years ago at the theater. This time, we see the family of assassins during their younger days, as they meet for a reading of the will of an elder.
-
Joe Hadsall: Cheapskate pwned by inner geek
My geekitude is constantly at war with another major part of my personality: The cheapskate. As much as I love gadgets and tech, I can’t bring myself to spend major money on them until after a couple of years.
-
Jeremiah Tucker: SOPA raises real question of what music should be worth
I agree it was deeply flawed legislation, but it was one of the first steps toward figuring out how copyright will work in the Internet age -- something I think needs to be addressed if we want a future where artists get paid for their recorded output.
-
Benji Tunnell: ‘The Artist’ a charming tribute to Hollywood’s start
There was a time when people liked to be challenged by their entertainment. Television used to be more than bland cookie-cutter sitcoms or police procedurals. Books that challenged the mind would be embraced, films that didn’t fit into the traditional structure would become cultural touchstones. Those days, it seems, are behind us.
-
Dave Woods: Winter rehearsals lead to traditional preview
It was 18 years ago that a group of Branson show producers and performers came together to put on a show. Not just any show ... a Big Show.
-
Benji Tunnell: Soderbergh's latest goes 'Haywire'
I’ve said in the past that the age of the modern action star is dying, if not completely gone.
-
Joe Hadsall: 'Alcatraz' puts us back on the island
The power of “Lost” fans continues to amaze me.
- More Enjoy Headlines
-
Denver's Largest-Ever Drug Bust Nets Dozens
Marines: No Punishment for Nazi-like Flag
Vets Look to Translate Military Skills Into Jobs
Expert: Removing LA School's Staff 'Appropriate'
Raw Video: School Bus Burst Into Flames
LA School Reopens Amid Sex Abuse Scandal
$25B Settlement Reached Over Foreclosure Abuses
Pentagon: Allow Women Closer to Front Lines
Obama Gives Education Waivers to 10 States
Giffords Aide to Run for Her Seat
LA School in Sex Abuse Scandal Reopens
Winter Slamming North Asia, Parts of Europe
Syrian Forces Renew Bombardment of Homs
States, Banks Reach Foreclosure-abuse Settlement
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Greeks March; Angry Despite Debt Deal
Raw Video: U.S. Pullout Celebration
Raw Video: Annual Empire State Building Run-Up
Man Killed in Courthouse Shootout
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
