On November 18, the Alexander String Quartet was visiting Baruch College in preparation for two upcoming concerts they were going to have. My history class was invited to watch the group perform. It was my first time going to Baruch’s performing arts centers. The performance was taking place in the Engelman Recital Hall. Though it wasn’t a very large venue, I found it to be a very comfortable place to be.
Though I’m not too big on classical music as a whole, I always found it fun to watch the performers themselves, at least on a professional level. I found classical musicians to give a different feeling, when performing, compared to say pop or jazz. musicians There seems to be a lot more structure and formality behind classical music that works its magic on its performers as well.
The quartet was made up of two violinists, a violist, and a cellist. One of the violinist took the lead role for the majority of the performance, although each musician had his moments of glory. They played famous quartet compositions that were supposed to help us better understand the time period we were studying. After the performances, we were given time to ask questions. I was able to learn a lot about quartets in general because they were very knowledgeable on the history of quartets. Performing famous pieces and arranging/composing there own, It was a very enjoyable experience. However, I was only able to sneak one picture in because my professor did not want us to use our phones.
I wanted to go, but unfortunately I couldn’t make it. It would have been my first time at the Baruch Performing Arts Center too! I have heard about orchestras and operas, but what is a string quartet like? Alright, I understand that there are four string instruments played by four performers, but do you think the sound would have been with or without the inclusion of more instruments? If I were there, I bet I’d be sick of hear just the string the instruments, because they do get annoying after a while. On the other hand, I could hear a piano solo forever! Thanks for sharing your experience Jeongwoo!
Hey Jeongwoo,
I love classical music, and it’s great to see other people attending quartets, ensembles, concerts, etc. Classical music, despite being classic, really has an large and extensive range of emotions and feelings. The music usually mirrors the history of that time and especially shows any patriotic or revolutionary feelings. I only wish I could be at those times when composers capture the feelings in music!
Hey Jeongwoo,
I had played the violin for years through out my middle school, high school and even elementary school years and always found it to be extremely interesting. At first playing the violin wasn’t something that I was to fond of doing but as the years went on it grew on me. Playing in front of audiences was always something that I looked forward to doing because I felt as if I was a professional, even if it was only for the performance. What they do isn’t easy even if at times that make it seem that way. The dedication that they put into their art of playing is truly exceptional and coming from a violinist in the pass I look at what they do with respect.
Hi!
I’m actually quite jealous you got to go. I was in band class during high school and I remember that during the concerts, I always enjoyed the orchestra, which played more classical music. I’ve grown up listening to classical music since I played piano for quite a while. I know a lot of people may find it “boring” or they just don’t have an interest in it, but I love classical music. I always wondered how musicians were able to compose such complex pieces, especially since they did a lot of the composing by hand. And since I studied classical music before, I always look for the different parts of each song and the crescendos, decrescendos, etc.
I’ve always wanted to learn violin too!! I seriously love the rich sounds that string instruments are able to produce.