Known for their “exceptional virtuosity and imaginative interpretation” (Washington Post), the acclaimed Parkers return to Philadelphia this December after a few years' absence. Their fifth appearance with the Society features two more PCMS favorites, violist Kim Kashkashian and cellist Efe Baltacigil, and a wonderful evening of Brahms, Strauss, and Schoenberg.

In the video below, Jessica and Daniel share with us a fantastic mini-performance of a Martinů madrigal, recorded at their home just for the PCMS audience.

As with our previous artist videos, Jessica and Dan also took time to answer our questions about their fall PCMS concert, life during quarantine, and some fun miscellaneous topics too. We are very grateful to both of them for being so generous with their time.

We hope you enjoy getting to know Dan and Jessica and listening to their performance as well. Join us again next week for another interview and performance with an artist appearing with PCMS this fall.

This week’s installment features J and Rachel Freivogel, a married couple who are half of the Jasper String Quartet, the fantastic, Philadelphia-based ensemble that returns to PCMS this fall. In the video below, J and Rachel share with us a special home performance, created for the PCMS audience, of works by Bach and James Tenney.

The Jasper's Nov. 22 PCMS concert is a creative, two-part program dedicated to works by living female composers. In the video Q&A below, they answer our questions about this collaborative program (which also features fellow Philadelphians Sarah Shafer, soprano and Amy Yang, piano). We also chat about life during quarantine and some fun “miscellaneous” topics too.

We are grateful to J and Rachel for being so generous with their time and hope that you enjoy watching.
 
 

About the Jasper Quartet

Winners of the prestigious CMA Cleveland Quartet Award and quartet-in-residence at Temple University, the Jasper Quartet are Astral Artists alums and former ensemble-in-residence at Oberlin Conservatory. Hailed as “powerful” (New York Times) and “sonically delightful and expressively compelling” (The Strad), the Jaspers "match their sounds perfectly, as if each swelling chord were coming out of a single, impossibly well-tuned organ, instead of four distinct instruments” (New Haven Advocate).

Shai's upcoming recital (Dec. 4) marks his eighth appearance with the Society. Born in Israel and educated at Juilliard, he has gone on to have an internationally acclaimed career, performing a broad range of repertoire with a degree of virtuosity and intellectual curiosity that has led audiences and critics to note his “keen musical mind and deep musical soul” (NPR).

Offering a snapshot of a day in the life of an artist during quarantine, Shai invites us into his home and musical world while treating us to a performance of an excerpt from Beethoven's Diabelli Variations and answering a wide-ranging set of interview questions. We had a lot of fun crafting them and hope you enjoy getting to know another of our favorite artists.

Titled Variations on a Theme by FDR, Shai’s December 4 recital program weaves newly commissioned works by five American composers in and around Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations. The theme is a quote from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s address to the Daughters of the American Revolution: “Remember, remember always, that all of us… are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.” Each contribution to this new collection is a “variation” on this theme, with each composer employing the story of a specific immigrant as inspiration. Beethoven used a similar idea to test his creative powers when he accepted Anton Diabelli’s invitation to write a variation on a simple C Major waltz, the proceeds from which were to support orphans and widows of the Napoleonic Wars. Watch Shai's video preview of the program below:

The first artist to join us is pianist Amy Yang, who will appear with the Jasper Quartet and Sarah Shafer on Sunday, November 22. (Incidentally, we also hope to reschedule her recital, originally slated for May, to our 2021-22 season.) A fellow Philadelphian, Musical Fund Society Career Advancement Winner, and Curtis and Marlboro alum, Amy has appeared in several chamber music events with PCMS over the last half dozen seasons and has been hailed by the Washington Post as a “jaw-dropping pianist who [steals] the show… with effortless finesse.”

Along with answering questions on a wide range of topics, Amy is graciously treating us all to a special performance of Brahms’s E-flat Major Intermezzo—the hauntingly beautiful, life-affirming first one from his Op. 117 set, which Amy would have played in its entirety on her (now canceled) May 10 recital program.

Over the past several years, the Chamber Music Society has brought a variety of artists to work with Philadelphia Sinfonia musicians. This past fall, when the East Coast Chamber Orchestra (ECCO) performed on our series, they took time on Saturday to coach the Sinfonia's advanced chamber orchestra. Afterwards, Adah Kaplan, an eighth grader who holds the Principal Chair of the Second Violins, wrote a first-hand account of the event.

High Energy and Musicianship
by Adah Kaplan

Philadelphia Sinfonia Chamber Orchestra (PSCO) musicians were freed from the confinements of reserved playing by the East Coast Chamber Orchestra (ECCO) this past October during a side by side event. The guest ensemble’s defining trait is that they play without a conductor, resulting in impeccable individual leadership and listening abilities. The rehearsal ran without a conductor, meaning that Sinfonia musicians needed to develop these skills as well.

Erik Petersons: Having performed and recorded all of Beethoven’s quartets, how would you describe the impact of his music on the ensemble and what was your first experience with his works?

Krzysztof Chorzelski: For us, Beethoven is an all-consuming passion. He is the prime reason why we are a string quartet. For each one of us, hearing a Beethoven quartet for the first time was a turning point. Nowadays, many years later, we exchange strikingly similar stories about how we sleepwalked through our teenage lives bingeing on Beethoven in our headphones (We are, after all, the “Walkman” generation).

I remember discovering the Op. 131 for the first time in the Alban Berg Quartet’s EMI recording. It felt to me so human, so sorrowful, bizarre, tender, and heroic, that listening to it became the most powerful contemplation of human life for me. Many years later I discovered from Antoine, our cellist, that hearing this very same piece is what gave him the imperative to one day become a string quartet player.

The first time we performed and recorded Beethoven’s complete string quartet cycle was eight years ago, and I remember the sort of dizziness we felt when the season was drawing to a close. I don’t know if there is any actual parallel but it seems to me, from what I have read, that a similar feeling accompanies alpinists scaling the Himalayan heights: a sense of profound self-discovery arising from overcoming a titanic challenge that combines with the breathtaking scenery and the rarefied air into a sort of ecstasy. It is no wonder that since then we couldn’t wait to repeat this experience.

EP: You are performing the entire Beethoven cycle with Quatuor Ébène this spring. What is your relationship with them and what inspired this collaboration?

KC: The Quatuor Ebène are an ensemble we admire greatly. Their talents and skills span so many musical worlds, from the classical repertoire through jazz to improvisation, and we feel that this diversity feeds into their interpretations in a very convincing and compelling way. They are our ideal partners to share a Beethoven quartet cycle with. They are also our friends. On a few occasions we even “loaned” each other a quartet member to replace someone who was indisposed—and with a very good result! In two years’ time we will tour with them playing two of the greatest string octets—by Mendelssohn and Enescu—a project we have been planning together for a long time now! (What a shame that we are not going to be in Philadelphia at the same time as them...)

EP: As orchestral players, what dynamic do Axel Schacher and Antoine Lederlin bring to the quartet?

KC: I am not sure whether the fact that Axel and Antoine are also orchestral musicians has an impact on our playing. They certainly do bring very special qualities to our quartet, but I suspect that this has more to do with their musical background, which is very different from Corina’s and mine. From the beginning of our work together with Antoine, and later, with Axel, I observed how much more meticulous our rehearsals became with regards to the quality of our sound and the variety of colour and expression. Corina and myself are hot-blooded Eastern Europeans—our playing is driven by the intensity of our temperaments. I think that it is our French colleagues who add a palette of shades and colours to what would otherwise be a very expressive etching, but perhaps one in monochrome...

EP: This is your twenty-fifth year as a quartet. How has the group evolved and what are some of your goals moving forward?

KC: The group is evolving all the time. Every rehearsal brings with it new questions, which often cast doubt on the old answers... and this is perhaps what we love the most about our work. I think that we are helping each other to come closer to the greatness of the music that we play. Long may this continue!

And to be a bit more specific, I have a feeling that our work now is more and more focused on understanding better how the music we play is built, on trying to get more into the composer’s mind—I believe that this leads us to hitherto unexplored riches (especially when the composer we play happens to be Beethoven!).

EP: Alongside your career with the Belcea Quartet, you are a marathoner. Tell us about your experience and what motivated your interest in this area?

KC: I took up running in my thirties. It soon became my favourite pastime on tour, which is very surprising as I had never previously been a keen athlete. I think that what drew me to it was the quiet solitude and the focus on a task that is non-musical and non-cerebral. Then, a few years ago, the quartet decided to go on a six-month sabbatical. This felt like a perfect opportunity to set myself a challenge that would have been unachievable in the course of my “normal life”. And that challenge became training for the London Marathon. Since then I ran it three times and found it to be one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. I think that I thrive on pushing myself as close to my limits as possible. Somehow, I feel that this kind of a challenge is not very far away from the spirit of Beethoven’s music...

The Belcea Quartet appears during the Society's all-Beethoven string quartet cycle, Tuesday, March 17 and Wednesday, March 18, at the Kimmel Center’s Perelman Theater.

Erik Petersons: Having performed and recorded the Beethoven string quartet cycle, how would you characterize the differences between the works from his early, middle, and late periods? How do these works reveal Beethoven’s development as a composer?

Raphaël Merlin: What distinguishes the different periods can roughly be said in a few words: The Op. 18 quartets carry the classical heritage of Haydn and Mozart. Op. 59, 74, and 95 are the explosive and experimental works, where every musical parameter is enlarged. This period announces the whole 19th century and the varieties of Romanticism to follow. Beethoven’s late period is so modern that it foreshadows the 20th century in many ways. In contrast to the quartet’s standard conditions, the cycle shows how quickly, deeply, and radically the creativity of Beethoven was evolving, probably even more due to his deafness.

EP: You recorded all the Beethoven quartets last year in different venues, including the Perelman Theater. Why did you pick that hall and what is it like to perform/record there?

RM: The Perelman has a nice and demanding acoustic—a quality standard which satisfies the recording conditions. Deciding where and how we would record the Beethoven cycle, we wanted to bring Beethoven’s music to each continent and to as many different social environments as possible. The goal was to confront his ideal of universalism in our contemporary world. Philadelphia is the best reflection of what America was at the time of Beethoven (early industrialization) and what it is today. We also feel great there and love the people who present this series!

EP: Marie Chilemme recently joined the quartet as its new violist. What strengths does she bring to the group?

RM: Marie is amazingly reactive and flexible, has a good mood and strong spirit, and maintains a critical and constructive ear. Her contact with the instrument allows the quartet to explore microscopic details and her devoted and willing personality reinforces the collective every day.

EP: This is your twentieth year as a quartet. How has the group evolved and what are some of your goals moving forward?

RM: These twenty years went by in a minute! We feel everything still needs to be done. There is always a mystery about what we can achieve, and it’s only on the field that you can know. Our projects include a Haydn/Janacek/Schumann program, and collaborations with the Belcea Quartet, Martin Fröst, and Antoine Tamestit. We will probably perform more contemporary music and maybe even produce a self-written/arranged (and even sung?) album. Everything is yet to be confirmed…we are still very busy with Ludwig.

Erik Petersons: You are presenting an all-Spanish program for your recital on March 16. How did this program come together, and are there personal connections with any of the works?

Ana María Martínez: First, I would like to say how excited I am to be performing with PCMS! Craig and I are greatly looking forward to offering this program which we love so deeply with all of you.

This program is very close to my heart because it is an all-Spanish recital, and Spanish is my first language. The first half offers song repertoire that is considered to be among the staple pieces of the Spanish vocal song literature. I chose these because they are gorgeous, they encompass the full spectrum of human emotion, and they are also part of the discovery process for young classical singers and pianists. These songs become part of a young artist's life at the time that they are focusing on technique and touching on expression and often accompany the artist throughout their life and career. When that bond with repertoire is formed, a life partnership and honest gauge is made.

The second half of the program offers more recent jewels (mainly circa 1930s-1940s) from Puerto Rico, Cuba, Spain, Mexico, and Argentina. These are classical selections but more popular songs at the time they were composed. They are romantic, nostalgic, beautiful. With all the pieces, I feel a strong emotional connection from having heard them while I was growing up and reveling in their relaxed melodies and powerful poetry.

EP: You will also be performing a selection of Zarzuela. Where does this genre originate, and how would you characterize the works you will be performing?

AMM: The roots of Spanish Zarzuela are in 17th century Spain. The first performance took place in the Royal Palace of El Prado, in Madrid. It resembles the form of an operetta, which means that there are scenes with spoken dialogues. The stories can be tragic or comedic. There are also Zarzuelas from Cuba and Mexico, among others. The Zarzuela of the 17th century is considered Baroque, and the Zarzuela from the 19th century is Romantic. We offer a Zarzuela aria from the Cuban Zarzuela, María La O, by Ernesto Lecuona. This one is an ideal example from the Romantic era of the genre.

EP: Tell us about your collaboration with Craig Terry and what it is like to work with him.

AMM: Collaborating with Craig Terry is always a wonderful and happy experience! Craig has great ideas, and together we can create and shape a program in such a way where pieces that mean the world to us are offered from the heart. We met while working on the Spanish Opera, Florencia en el Amazonas, by Daniel Catán, at Houston Grand Opera years ago and enjoy performing recitals together on a regular basis.

EP: You have a strong interest in encouraging the next generation of singers. While you are in Philly, you will be visiting vocal students at Esperanza Academy Charter School. What do you find is most important to pass on to students who are still finding their own voices and aiming for a singing career?

AMM: I firmly believe in encouraging people to fulfill their full potential and to follow their dreams. Dreaming big is important, and just as important is discipline, focus, and daily work, which lead to being prepared and equipped for the long journey of this career.

EP: What are the unique characteristics and expressive potential when comparing art song and opera?

AMM: As young singers we begin, or at least we should begin, with art songs. The early Italian art songs, for example, allow us to work on our technique so that we begin to craft the tools we will need in order to sing the operas of our dreams in the future.

Think of an art song as a short story and an opera as a novel. The art song will therefore offer everything of the story in just a few pages, while the opera can expand the story, having plots and subplots.

There is the obvious difference in that an opera has an orchestra and simply by length alone, the opera is very long in comparison. Now, when you are talking about a song cycle, some can be quite dramatic and of greater length.

The healthy foundation for the stamina to be able to sing a full length opera is established in the early steps, thanks to the art song.

Ana María Martínez appears with the Chamber Music Society on Wednesday, March 16 at the Kimmel Center’s Perelman Theater.

Erik Petersons: You are appearing with Avi Avital on February 13. How did you know him and what is your collaboration like?

Bridget Kibbey: I can't wait to take the stage with Avi! I met him over ten years ago, in a collaboration with Dawn Upshaw, and we became fast friends—geeking out over a work that demanded complicated rhythmic interplay between the harp and mandolin. Fast-forward a year and we found ourselves trying out repertoire, playing on air or on camera to share our passion for how beautiful these instruments sound together.

EP: It’s rare to hear a concert with mandolin and harp. Tell us about your program and what the audience can expect to hear. What are the challenges of arranging works for this duo?

BK: The unique resonance of the mandolin and harp is very well-suited to so much repertoire, due to their similar sound world but broad registers. The mandolin often acts as violinist, vocalist, etc, while the harp functions as guitar or keyboard. Therefore, it's not surprising our repertoire stems from the Baroque and heads to the folk. Was that a bad rhyme?

EP: What drew you to the harp and who have been your major influences as an artist? What characteristics or potential does the harp have that you hope to introduce our audience to?

BK: I first encountered the harp in a country church in northwest Ohio at the age of nine. Having played piano for six years, my dad had the wise idea that transitioning to harp wouldn't be too much of a leap. Once I got past Twinkle-Twinkle and Suzuki Book 1 (resenting the fact that I had already played these pieces on piano six years earlier as a toddler), I was HOOKED. I am still completely mesmerized by my instrument. Aside from the power of its resonance that reaches out and hugs an audience, like the mandolin, it exists in many traditions around the world. Not just the Baroque lute or the French Belle Époque (Debussy, Ravel, etc.), but in folk traditions, from the kora to the Celtic clarsach to the Colombian, Paraguayan, and Venezuelan uses for the instrument. My hope is audiences would understand just how much expression comes from the harp, regardless of time or place.

EP: Prior to your concert, you will hold a master class for students in the city. Describe the master class experience and what you hope students will take away from the experience.

BK: I love teaching the students at Temple and know many of them! They come with so much talent, and my biggest obsession is talking about sound quality and physical ease at the instrument that helps us "get out of our own way" so the harp can resonate and sing the best. I see these classes as a conversation, back-and-forth, and always learn so much!

Bridget Kibbey appears with the Chamber Music Society on Thursday, February 13 at the Kimmel Center’s Perelman Theater.

Erik Petersons: Tell us about your work as a projection designer and give us an idea of what the concert experience will be like.

Hana Kim: As a projection designer, I construct immersive visual environments to support creative storytelling. For Emerging Voices, it is especially exciting because we will be traveling through different historical eras and their themes each night, yet all four concerts create a bigger arc to examine the role of art songs in expressing both individual and national identity. I am creating a visual language for each program that can stand alone, but is also subtly connected through the development of the whole project.

Most of the works are based on poems which motivates me to think about poetry’s visual language. Rather than merely illustrating the story, I am interested in exploring the effect of projections when intertwined with the soundscape and its associated poetry. How abstract does it need to be? Is it a juxtaposition of opposing images? It is also important for moving images to have a rhythm that allows the music to breathe, rather than overwhelming the audience with an overload of images.

[projection design for Janacek's The Diary of One Who Disappeared]

EP: How has your experience immigrating to America shaped your thoughts on this project?

HK: I am originally from Seoul, South Korea, a largely homogenous society. Coming to the U.S. gave me an opportunity to examine my own identity, being surrounded by so many people from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Immigrating to a country is like re-living a life. It amplified the sense of the world around me. The smallest things need great attention to decode, resulting in multiple interpretations. At the same time, while I was examining my own personal identity and trying to find my own voice, it also made me aware of Korea’s own geo-political positioning in the global society.

What excites me to work in live performance is that I get to recreate this amplified, multi-sensory experience to tell stories. I am especially interested in the chemistry between the sense of space and the moving image. Going back to the issue of defining myself as an immigrant, all these questions have to do not with the abstract, but the very concrete nature of my own existence as a human being in the context of this country. It’s exciting for me that we’re looking into a very personal expression of identity through art song, yet it’s curated to look at the bigger societal and political backdrop as well.

Hana Kim's projection design will be featured at all four Emerging Voices concerts at the Perelman Theater. For more information about Ms. Kim's work, visit her website.