Archived Programs

AMERICAN VOICES
Samuel Barber | String Quartet Op. 11 (20’)
Derek Bermel | Intonations (20’)
Florence Price | String Quartet No. 2 in A Minor (30’)

Three giants of American composition are featured in this program exploring vocal influences on the medium of string quartet. Samuel Barber’s iconic Adagio, from his String Quartet Op. 11, draws upon the influences of ancient Gregorian chant in its breathtaking exploration of longing and heartache. Award-winning composer Derek Bermel uses cutting-edge techniques in Intonations to give voice to the sounds of 1950’s Harlem with evocations of harmonicas, gospel singing, and hip-hop cadences. The program ends with Florence Price’s epic String Quartet No. 2, which brilliantly blends influences of African American spirituals and dance with early twentieth-century classical conventions.

REFLECTIONS
Antonín Dvořák | selections from Cypresses (18’)
Grażyna Bacewicz | String Quartet No. 4 (23’)
Robert Schumann | String Quartet in A Minor, Op. 41, No. 1 (27’)

Grażyna Bacewicz, celebrated in her time as both a violinist and composer, wrote seven string quartets that are steadily becoming cemented in the canon of string quartet literature. Her lyrical String Quartet No. 4 draws upon European folk melodies and highlights the unique dynamism and textures of her quartet writing. The program opens with selections from Antonín Dvořák’s Cypresses, set for string quartet by Dvořák from a set of love songs he wrote 23 years prior, and ends with Robert Schumann’s idiosyncratic and masterful first string quartet.

TRANSCEND
Osvaldo Golijov | Yiddishbbuk  (14’)
Reena Esmail | Ragamala  (16’)
Ludwig van Beethoven | Quartet in A Minor, Op. 132 (45’)

In ways both intimate and profound, music gives voice to the presence of the sublime within the human experience. This program illuminates our search for spiritual nourishment in the face of personal and historical turmoil as well as in the context of our everyday lives. Osvaldo Golijov’s arresting Yiddishbbuk, written in part to commemorate three young victims of the Holocaust, is a cry for salvation in the face of horror, while Reena Esmail’s Ragamala explores the meditative beauty of Indian raags. The program closes with Ludwig van Beethoven’s seminal Opus 132, featuring the transcendent Heiliger Dankgesang, the composer’s song of thanksgiving for his recovery from a grave illness.

FOLK
Joseph Haydn | Quartet in D Major, Op. 20 No. 4 (25’)
Jungyoon Wie | Han (26’)
Sergei Prokofiev | Quartet No. 2 in F Major, Op. 92 (21’)

Explore the rich inspiration of folk music from the early classical period to the present day. This program opens with Josef Haydn’s luminous String Quartet Op. 20, No. 4, whose playful Minuet alla Zingarese flirts with the marriage of folk and court dances. Jungyoon Wie’s Han weaves Korean folk melodies and traditions into the world of the string quartet in a deeply personal journey that probes the complex emotions generated by folk music. The program ends with Sergei Prokofiev’s breathtaking String Quartet No. 2, a virtuosic synthesis of material inspired by Kabardinian folk music and Prokofiev’s unique compositional voice.

SPIRIT
Florence Price | Quartet No. 2 in A Minor (30’) 
Derek Bermel | Intonations (18’)
Antonín Dvořák | Quartet No. 14 in A-flat Major, Op.105 (31’)

Works by two great masters of melody, Florence Price and Antonín Dvořák, bookend this program. Florence Price’s epic Quartet No. 2 showcases her uncanny ability to build rich melodies over hypnotic figures. Central to the program is Derek Bermel’s Intonations, which draws upon spirituals and a vocal sensibility for the quartet. The program closes with Antonín Dvořák’s Quartet No. 14, the composer’s masterful final string quartet.

RADIANCE
Samuel Barber | String Quartet, Op. 11 (20’)
Ingrid Arauco | String Quartet commissioned by the Jasper String Quartet (15’)
Felix Mendelssohn | String Quartet No. 5 in E-flat Major, Op.  44 No. 3 (30’) 

The iconic Adagio movement of Samuel Barber’s String Quartet, Op. 11, has become a signature work of American classical music. Hear it alongside a newly commissioned work by American composer Ingrid Arauco, whose dramatic and lyrical voice inspired the Jasper String Quartet’s latest commission. The program concludes with Felix Mendelssohn’s warm-hearted and virtuosic String Quartet Op. 44, No. 3.

COMMUNITY CONCERT
Joseph Haydn | Quartet in D Major, Op. 20 No. 4 (25’)
Patrick Castillo | An Inventory of Echoes
Terry Riley | In C

Perform alongside the Jasper String Quartet in this program designed to include musicians and music-lovers of all levels. String players of all levels can share in the joy of rehearsing and performing Patrick Castillo’s An Inventory of Echoes, a string orchestra piece written with parts for beginners, intermediate-level players, and professionals. All audience members are then invited to join for a community performance of Terry Riley’s In C, one of the first masterpieces of minimalism. The Jasper Quartet will lead a brief workshop to prepare participants to perform In C and experience the exuberance and power of communal music-making.