Emerson at Hotchkiss: Musical Royalty
An appearance by the Emerson String Quartet in our region is always a cause for celebration. Chamber music royalty, the Emerson players (Eugene Drucker and Philip Setzer, violins, Lawrence Dutton, viola, and Paul Watkins, cello) are renowned for their shimmering sound, wordless communication, and tradition of standing while performing.
A chance to hear the Emerson free, which will happen this Saturday at Hotchkiss, is a gift—specifically, a gift of the school’s Robert W. Crandall ’37 music endowment. According to Fabio Witkowski, head of the Visual & Performing Arts Department and Director of Music at Hotchkiss, “It was the first gift to Hotchkiss given specially to bring great artists to the school. It’s a reminder of how loyal and generous our alumni are.”
The event also combines two milestones into one celebration: the Emerson’s 40th anniversary and the Hotchkiss School’s 125th.
Witkowski, himself a pianist and chamber musician, delights in having the Emerson on campus. “At Hotchkiss, we’ve been so blessed to bring some of the great string quartets, but (until now) one was missing. I think you know who that is,” he jokes. “They are not only a reference for other musicians but a source of great inspiration. The quality of their ensemble playing, how they blend artistically, their intuition and ideas—they’re really inspiration for any chamber group in the world.”
For this weekend’s concert, the quartet is featuring an all-star program of timeless quartets spanning three periods: Mozart’s Quartet in C Major, K. 465, called “Dissonance” (Classical); Debussy’s Quartet in G minor (Early Modern), and Dvořák’s Quartet in C Major, op. 61 (Romantic).
“What I love about this program is that it is really an incredible journey into the string quartet literature; they happen to be three of my favorite quartets,” Witkowski says. “With Mozart, the genre is stabilized. His moods are constantly teasing us, and his way of manipulating and enhancing form is masterful.”
“Debussy—and this is the only string quartet he wrote—starts going away from the classical form. He has a different approach, adopting the ‘impressionist’ texture. And then there’s the incredible romantic writing of the Czech composer Dvořák.”
“For someone experience of the string quartet for the first time, what an introduction! Anyone who already loves the literature will enjoy the program, too.”
A chance to hear the Emerson free, which will happen this Saturday at Hotchkiss, is a gift—specifically, a gift of the school’s Robert W. Crandall ’37 music endowment. According to Fabio Witkowski, head of the Visual & Performing Arts Department and Director of Music at Hotchkiss, “It was the first gift to Hotchkiss given specially to bring great artists to the school. It’s a reminder of how loyal and generous our alumni are.”
The event also combines two milestones into one celebration: the Emerson’s 40th anniversary and the Hotchkiss School’s 125th.
Witkowski, himself a pianist and chamber musician, delights in having the Emerson on campus. “At Hotchkiss, we’ve been so blessed to bring some of the great string quartets, but (until now) one was missing. I think you know who that is,” he jokes. “They are not only a reference for other musicians but a source of great inspiration. The quality of their ensemble playing, how they blend artistically, their intuition and ideas—they’re really inspiration for any chamber group in the world.”
For this weekend’s concert, the quartet is featuring an all-star program of timeless quartets spanning three periods: Mozart’s Quartet in C Major, K. 465, called “Dissonance” (Classical); Debussy’s Quartet in G minor (Early Modern), and Dvořák’s Quartet in C Major, op. 61 (Romantic).
“What I love about this program is that it is really an incredible journey into the string quartet literature; they happen to be three of my favorite quartets,” Witkowski says. “With Mozart, the genre is stabilized. His moods are constantly teasing us, and his way of manipulating and enhancing form is masterful.”
“Debussy—and this is the only string quartet he wrote—starts going away from the classical form. He has a different approach, adopting the ‘impressionist’ texture. And then there’s the incredible romantic writing of the Czech composer Dvořák.”
“For someone experience of the string quartet for the first time, what an introduction! Anyone who already loves the literature will enjoy the program, too.”