La Cafamore presents String Quartets with Natasha Hall
By Contributor
La Cafamore performs at the Trail United Church at 1300 Pine Avenue, on Sunday March 23rd, 2:00 p.m. Advance tickets may be purchased from the Bailey: tickets.trail-arts.com. Tickets may also be purchased at the door. Tickets are $20 – children under 12 attend for free.
La Cafamore has been performing for Kootenay audiences since 2008, with varied chamber group configurations such as piano trios, quintets, clarinet quintets, and instrumental plus dance combinations.
Now,the group returns to its roots as a string quartet, to present works of Franz Schubert and Madalena Lombardini Syrmen. Local Kootenay girl and internationally acclaimed violinist Natasha Hall joins Carolyn Cameron (violin), Kaito Takeda (viola) and Maria Wang (cello).
This will be the second time this combination of players will be touring the Kootenays, and founding member Carolyn Cameron could not be more excited. “This is such a wonderful group of players, each bringing incredible musicianship and experience. Our program of Schubert and Syrmen will be magical under the fingers of these musicians.”
The ensemble will present two works of Franz Schubert: Quartettsatz and the “Rosamunde” string quartet. Both works come from Schubert’s mature years and represent quartet music at its finest. The Quartettsatz is the first movement of an unfinished string quartet. The several theories as to its lack of completion include that Schubert got distracted and moved on to something else, or that he felt that he couldn’t top the first movement. In any case, the work holds its own as a standalone piece.
The “Rosamunde” string quartet was composed several years later and is so named as the theme from the second movement comes from Schubert’s incidental music to the play Rosamunde. The music reflects a time in Schubert’s life when he is faced with his impending death from syphilis. The pervading mood of resignation and desolation should not deterconcertgoers; this music is made to move its listeners.
La Cafamore makes an effort to include music by women composers, and are looking forward to performing two string quartets by Madalena Lombardini Syrmen (1745-1818), an incredibly talented Venetian violinist, singer, keyboard player and composer. Although not an orphan, she received a scholarship to be educated at one of Venice’s four orphanages that specialized in musical education for girls (Vivaldi taught at one of these orphanages, but not the one which Madalena attended). As such, she was not allowed to leave the program unless she married or became a nun. Madalena chose marriage to violinist and composter Lodovico Syrmen, and together they toured Europe as performers.
After the birth of their daughter, Madalena continued to perform as a violinist and later as an opera singer, leaving Lodovico to care for their daughter in Ravenna. Don’t feel too sorry for Lodovico; he was keeping company with a certain Countess Zerletta while his wife was touring Europe.
Madalena’s teacher, Tartini was one of the first to compose for the formation of string quartet, and she continued with the genre, performing her works throughout Europe. When her quartets were published in 1769, Lodovico was listed as co-composer. Natasha Hall is no stranger to Trail audiences, having been raised in Nelson and having performed in local festivals as a student. She is currently a regular soloist with the Symphony of the Kootenays which performs in Nelson and Cranbrook. “This is my second concert at the Trail United Church with this particular group of musicians” says Hall “I look forward to performing these incredible works with the wonderful acoustics of the Trail United Church”.
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