It was back in the late 1950s that Nikolaus Harnoncourt formed the Concentus Musicus Wien, originally a group of players from the Vienna Symphony that began the period instrument movement revival of seeking to restore instruments of the type used by composers of the eighteenth century. The goal was to recreate, as far as was possible, the timbres, textures and performing techniques of early music in contrast to the performance practices of the nineteenth century (large, wide vibrato, large string sections, slow tempos) that well into the twentieth century were still being read back into performances of music from earlier eras. Harnoncourt and company began a series of revolutionary concerts in Vienna and their many recordings made us completely rethink the sonorities of music we once thought that we knew; so much so that period instrument performances are now the standard by which other performances of eighteenth-century music are measured. It wasn’t until 1985, however, that a string quartet was formed out of the group. The Quatuor Mosaïques—violinists Erich Hobarth and Andrea Bischof, violist Anita Mitterer and cellist Christophe Coin—initially made its sterling reputation based on recordings of Haydn, who had perfected the symmetrical sonata form that would become the very musical building block of the “classical” era, as well as the practical means of musical expression for both private (the string quartet, the piano sonata, the trio) and public (the symphony, opera, the oratorio) performance. The Opus 77 Quartets are particularly associated with the Quatuor Mosaïques, being the first works that the group recorded, and the Opus 77 Quartet No. 2 in F Major (Hob. III:82) will be the centerpiece of this rare Chicago appearance by the ensemble, which is being sponsored by the Austrian Consulate General. Mozart, whose quartets expanded Haydn’s pioneering quartets with his uncanny genius for melody, will be represented by his “Dissonance” Quartet in C Major, K. 465, and the concert will open with Schubert’s “Quartettsatz” in c minor, D. 703. A pre-concert discussion will take place at 6:30pm, free to ticket-holders. (Dennis Polkow)
April 17, University of Chicago’s Mandel Hall, 1131 E. 57th, (773)702-8068, 7:30pm. $32.
Dennis Polkow is an award-winning veteran journalist, critic, author, broadcaster and educator. He made his stage debut at age five, was a child art prodigy and began playing keyboards in clubs at the age of fourteen. He holds degrees in music theory, composition, religious studies and philosophy from DePaul University in Chicago. Polkow spent his early years performing and recording in rock and jazz bands while concertizing as a classical pianist, organist and harpsichordist and composing, arranging and producing for other artists. As a scholar, Polkow has published and lectured extensively and taught at several colleges and universities in various departments. As an actor, narrator and consultant, Polkow has been involved with numerous films, plays, broadcasts and documentaries. As a journalist, Polkow helped co-create the experiential Chicago Musicale and Spotlight, the award-winning tabloid arts and entertainment section of the Press Publications chain of newspapers, which he later edited. He also created and ran the nationally recognized journalism program at Oakton College and was faculty advisor to its award-winning student newspaper; many former students went on to major media careers, including Channel Awesome’s the Nostalgia Critic. Polkow’s research, interviews, features, reviews and commentaries have appeared across national and international media and he has corresponded from the Middle East, Asia and Africa for the Chicago Tribune. Contact: dpolkow25@aol.com
Related Stories
A Positive Light: The Soul Children of Chicago Sing "O-o-h Child" at Chicago Live! The Chicago Live! concerts coincide with the last weekend of “State of Sound: A World of Music from Illinois” music exhibit. As a sendoff, the Soul Children of Chicago will sing “O-o-h Child” in tribute to this socially significant Chicago song. The thirty-piece choir has been rehearsing the song for a month and the pier audience will be encouraged to…
Cool Aid: A Review of Situation Chicago 2 The album does an outstanding job of bringing home the staggering sonic and stylistic range we deny ourselves when we return too often to the same genre well.
Heart of Darkness: A Brief History of Chicago Industrial—Part One The bastardization of EBM, house and synthpop infiltrated suburban homes and Billboard charts. Bands like Nine Inch Nails, Skinny Puppy and Front Line Assembly were unexpected MTV stars and the scene spread worldwide
