Enso String Quartet: The Many Moods of Music

Mario R. Rossero Senior Vice President, Education Events for Students is made possible by Mr. James V. Kimsey†; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; and the U.S. Department of Education.

THE STRING FAMILY All members of the Enso String Quartet play instruments from the “String Family,” including the violin, viola, and cello. All three instruments are made of wood, share similar shapes, and have (you guessed it!) strings! And all create sound when a musician uses a bow or finger to make these strings vibrate.

But what are the differences? Here’s how to tell them apart. Test your skills during the performance.

Look for…how each instrument is played. The black chinrests on the violin and viola tell you they are held under the player’s chin. The cello is played upright, held between the player’s knees.

Listen for…the differences in pitch, or the high or low notes each instrument is able to produce. Although the smallest, the violin can create the highest notes. The viola, while cousin to the violin, has a deeper, more mellow voice. The cello’s bigger body allows for lower, richer tones.

Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by David and Alice Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.

Kennedy Center education and related artistic programming is made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts and the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts.

www.kennedy-center.org/artsedge Cuesheets are produced by ArtsEdge, an education program of the Kennedy Center.

Learn more about Education at the Kennedy Center at www.kennedy-center.org/education The contents of this Cuesheet have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education but do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. © 2016 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

The Many Moods of Music A PERFORMANCE AND DEMONSTRATION

PERFORMANCE GUIDE

Deborah F. Rutter President

ENSO STRING QUARTET

Cuesheet

David M. Rubenstein Chairman

About the Performance Known for their high-energy performances and musical versatility, the Enso String Quartet has proven they are much more than your average chamber music group. Get to know them as they perform a wide range of musical styles, and discuss how music is created and why it affects us as listeners.

ENSO STRING QUARTET: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW • The Enso String Quartet’s members include Richard Belcher (cello), Ken Hamao (violin), Maureen Nelson (violin), and Melissa Reardon (viola).

•N ow based in New York City, the ensemble originally formed in 1999 at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.

• The ensemble’s name, “enso,” was inspired by the Japanese Zen painting of the circle which represents many things: perfection and imperfection, the moment of chaos that is creation, the emptiness of the void, the endless circle of life, and the fullness of the spirit.

THE CONCERT PROGRAM During The Many Moods of Music, some of the music you will hear includes:

String Quartets, Op. 20 No. 6

by Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) Listen for the musical theme that is repeated throughout the piece. Then listen for the variation, or small change to the theme, which adds texture and layers to the music’s tone and intensity.

Excerpts from String Quartet No. 10 in E-flat major, Op. 74 “Harp”

Central Andes region of South America are direct descendants of the Incas. Their folk music ranges from upbeat and patriotic to beautiful and haunting.

“Mille Regretz”

by Josquin Des Prez (1450–1521) The sorrowful love song “Mille Regretz” (or “Thousand Regrets”) is a French chanson (shahn-SAWN), or lyric-driven song, popular during the Renaissance.

Excerpts from “Voces intimae”

by Jean Sibelius (1865–1957) The title’s translation, “Intimate Voices,” might refer to the musical conversations between instruments throughout the piece

by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) Listen for pizzicato (pronounced PITZ-ihKAH-toh), a playing technique in which the musician plucks the strings of their instrument with their fingers instead of using a bow. This creates a very different sound, similar to the plucking of a harp.

Excerpt from String Quartet in F major, 2nd Movement

by Maurice Ravel (1875–1937) In this musical work, listen (again) for pizzicato which adds a feeling of speed and urgency. Also listen for the sudden changes in dynamics, or volume. Both techniques help form the music’s lively dance rhythm.

Improvisations/Variations

by Maureen Nelson Composed by one of the Enso String Quartet’s own violinists, this piece is based on Peruvian Quechua (KETCH-wah) musical traditions. The Quechua Indians of the

From left to right: Reardon, Belcher, Nelson, Hamao All photos by Jürgen Frank

or to the music’s reflective, sometimes lonely-sounding melody. This string quartet is composed of five movements and represents the composer’s only substantial work written after the turn of the century.

“Bagel on the Malecon”

by Lev “Ljova” Zhurbin (1978) Incorporating different elements of Cuban music, this work is a mix of relaxed and upbeat sounds. Listen for non-traditional playing techniques early in the piece, such as the musicians tapping the instruments with their hands.

About the Performance Known for their high-energy performances and musical versatility, the Enso String Quartet has proven they are much more than your average chamber music group. Get to know them as they perform a wide range of musical styles, and discuss how music is created and why it affects us as listeners.

ENSO STRING QUARTET: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW • The Enso String Quartet’s members include Richard Belcher (cello), Ken Hamao (violin), Maureen Nelson (violin), and Melissa Reardon (viola).

•N ow based in New York City, the ensemble originally formed in 1999 at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.

• The ensemble’s name, “enso,” was inspired by the Japanese Zen painting of the circle which represents many things: perfection and imperfection, the moment of chaos that is creation, the emptiness of the void, the endless circle of life, and the fullness of the spirit.

THE CONCERT PROGRAM During The Many Moods of Music, some of the music you will hear includes:

String Quartets, Op. 20 No. 6

by Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) Listen for the musical theme that is repeated throughout the piece. Then listen for the variation, or small change to the theme, which adds texture and layers to the music’s tone and intensity.

Excerpts from String Quartet No. 10 in E-flat major, Op. 74 “Harp”

Central Andes region of South America are direct descendants of the Incas. Their folk music ranges from upbeat and patriotic to beautiful and haunting.

“Mille Regretz”

by Josquin Des Prez (1450–1521) The sorrowful love song “Mille Regretz” (or “Thousand Regrets”) is a French chanson (shahn-SAWN), or lyric-driven song, popular during the Renaissance.

Excerpts from “Voces intimae”

by Jean Sibelius (1865–1957) The title’s translation, “Intimate Voices,” might refer to the musical conversations between instruments throughout the piece

by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) Listen for pizzicato (pronounced PITZ-ihKAH-toh), a playing technique in which the musician plucks the strings of their instrument with their fingers instead of using a bow. This creates a very different sound, similar to the plucking of a harp.

Excerpt from String Quartet in F major, 2nd Movement

by Maurice Ravel (1875–1937) In this musical work, listen (again) for pizzicato which adds a feeling of speed and urgency. Also listen for the sudden changes in dynamics, or volume. Both techniques help form the music’s lively dance rhythm.

Improvisations/Variations

by Maureen Nelson Composed by one of the Enso String Quartet’s own violinists, this piece is based on Peruvian Quechua (KETCH-wah) musical traditions. The Quechua Indians of the

From left to right: Reardon, Belcher, Nelson, Hamao All photos by Jürgen Frank

or to the music’s reflective, sometimes lonely-sounding melody. This string quartet is composed of five movements and represents the composer’s only substantial work written after the turn of the century.

“Bagel on the Malecon”

by Lev “Ljova” Zhurbin (1978) Incorporating different elements of Cuban music, this work is a mix of relaxed and upbeat sounds. Listen for non-traditional playing techniques early in the piece, such as the musicians tapping the instruments with their hands.

Mario R. Rossero Senior Vice President, Education Events for Students is made possible by Mr. James V. Kimsey†; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; and the U.S. Department of Education.

THE STRING FAMILY All members of the Enso String Quartet play instruments from the “String Family,” including the violin, viola, and cello. All three instruments are made of wood, share similar shapes, and have (you guessed it!) strings! And all create sound when a musician uses a bow or finger to make these strings vibrate.

But what are the differences? Here’s how to tell them apart. Test your skills during the performance.

Look for…how each instrument is played. The black chinrests on the violin and viola tell you they are held under the player’s chin. The cello is played upright, held between the player’s knees.

Listen for…the differences in pitch, or the high or low notes each instrument is able to produce. Although the smallest, the violin can create the highest notes. The viola, while cousin to the violin, has a deeper, more mellow voice. The cello’s bigger body allows for lower, richer tones.

Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by David and Alice Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.

Kennedy Center education and related artistic programming is made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts and the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts.

www.kennedy-center.org/artsedge Cuesheets are produced by ArtsEdge, an education program of the Kennedy Center.

Learn more about Education at the Kennedy Center at www.kennedy-center.org/education The contents of this Cuesheet have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education but do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. © 2016 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

The Many Moods of Music A PERFORMANCE AND DEMONSTRATION

PERFORMANCE GUIDE

Deborah F. Rutter President

ENSO STRING QUARTET

Cuesheet

David M. Rubenstein Chairman