Crown City String Quartet in Los Angeles

[Ron Resnick]

The Crown City String Quartet is rehearsing in the apartment above me today.

http://www.crowncitystringquartet.com

The Crown City String Quartet has been the premier group featured in the High Desert Chamber Music Series in Central Oregon since their debut in the organization’s inaugural concert. Founded in 2007, their performances have been praised as "sublime" and "simply moving and spectacular". Based in the Crown City; Pasadena, California, the members have worked together in the Motion Picture and TV recording studios and are current and former members and principal players of some of Southern California's most renowned music organizations, including the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Pasadena Symphony, and the San Diego Symphony and San Diego Chamber Orchestra. They are regularly featured at a number of chamber music series in Southern California and the Pacific Northwest.​

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A review described the group's performance as "rich, smoky, heavy with nostalgia. Its textures were rendered with limpid gracefulness...felt old-fashioned in the best way: genuinely and unapologetically Romantic in the best of the Central European tradition." (Ted Esteban Ayala Villaroel, Culture Spot LA)​

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The group is dedicated to Educational Outreach efforts, and regularly conducts performances and Q&A sessions at a number of locations. The group has also contributed to instructing and mentoring the Spotlight Chamber Players, a HDCM Educational Outreach program.​

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With a refreshing and unmistakable camaraderie that is present both on and off-stage, the group is recognized for delivering dynamic and engaging performances of standard repertoire.​

Three members of the quartet are based in LA, and Isabelle Senger, the Executive Director of High Desert Chamber Music, came down from Bend, Oregon.


http://highdesertchambermusic.com

MISSION STATEMENT​

High Desert Chamber Music’s mission is to bring world class chamber music and musicians to Central Oregon. Through our concert series and Educational Outreach programs, we aspire to heighten a level of appreciation, awareness, and understanding of this great genre of classical music.​

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VISION STATEMENT​

The vision of High Desert Chamber Music is to be recognized as the leader and premier resource of chamber music opportunities in the region. The reputation of HDCM will be one that competes on a national level, and attracts leading performers to Central Oregon. We envision:​

-- Every performance or event will be of the highest artistic quality and caliber​

-- Every concert-goer will have a better understanding or appreciation of classical music​

-- Every student interested in furthering their understanding of music will be welcomed at little to no cost​

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HISTORY​

High Desert Chamber Music was founded in 2008 by violinist Isabelle LaForet Senger. We present an acclaimed series of classical chamber music concerts in Central Oregon, ranging from piano duos to string sextets. As the premier and leading chamber music organization in the region, HDCM offers an exciting roster of professional performing artists. We are proud to be a local organization presenting a national level of excellence.​

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In addition to the HDCM Concert Series, we present an Annual Benefit Gala, which is our largest fundraising effort of the season. The evening includes a performance, dinner, and silent auction. We have been fortunate to receive a tremendous amount of support from local businesses and have worked hard to strengthen and solidify our place in the community.​

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Another event we present during the season is “Music & Friends”. These performances are a great way to experience the origins of how “chamber music” began – you and your friends can enjoy a private performance in a personal residence paired with wine provided by HDCM.​

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Since inception, our programs have been funded in part by grants from prestigious foundations such as the Oregon Community Foundation, Meyer Memorial Trust, Collins Foundation, Herbert Templeton Foundation, James F. & Marion L. Miller Foundation, Starseed Foundation, U.S. Bank Foundation, Autzen Foundation, Chambers Family Foundation, Juan Young Trust, Oregon Arts Commission, Roundhouse Foundation, and the Deschutes Cultural Coalition. Our title sponsorsinclude Mission Building & Renovation, Combined Communications, Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott, German Master Tech, Neil Kelly, Pine Tavern Restaurant, Miller Lumber, and Hayden Homes. Additional support comes from BendBroadband, the Tower Theatre Foundation and Creative Images of Life.​

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I see two violins, one viola, one clarinet and one cello. Don, my neighbor, is joining them today for the practice session. He plays the clarinet, and he performs with the LA Opera.

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[Ron Resnick]

The instruments sound warm, rich, vibrant, resonant. Absolare electronics driving Rockport speakers comes to mind. I hear nothing remotely bright or edgy.

We imagine our systems achieving “they are here” in our living rooms. Well, this time they really are here!

 

[dcc]

There are 2 violons, 1 viola and 1 cello. The viola is slightly larger than a violin and sits next to the cello. This is the traditional arrangement for a quartet though there has been some experimentation with the viola on the center left and the cello on the center right with two violons opposite to each other. This was not an unusual placement at the classical period. The Festetics Quartet has recorded the complete quartets of Haydn that way and it is beautiful.

A picture showing Joseph Haydn as one of the violin players. The viola and the cello are sitting in the center.

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[Ron Resnick]

Thank you dcc. I made the correction above.

 

[dcc]

You are welcome. I could not read the score on the picture. Were they playing Mozart’s clarinet quintet?

 

[microstrip]

The instruments sound warm, rich, vibrant, resonant. Absolare electronics driving Rockport speakers comes to mind. I hear nothing remotely bright or edgy.

We imagine our systems achieving “they are here” in our living rooms. Well, this time they really are here!

Ron,

I am sure you will love the Brahms sextets - two violins, two violas and two cellos. These works exploit the caracteristics of string instruments you refer. The second movement of the first sextet is particularly enjoyable - I think it was used in the sound track of several movies.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Thank you, Francisco.

 

[Al M.]

The instruments sound warm, rich, vibrant, resonant. Absolare electronics driving Rockport speakers comes to mind. I hear nothing remotely bright or edgy.

We imagine our systems achieving “they are here” in our living rooms. Well, this time they really are here!

Warmth or brightness very much depends on acoustics. In a typical living room I would indeed expect no brightness at all; it is that sound that I have experienced a number of times. In other venues it may be different; in my church, when heard at a distance, a solo violin sounds bright and thin, with a silvery tone.

Edginess of tone depends on the manner of playing and the material that is played. I have heard both smooth and edgy tone live. When it's edgy though it does not have the blunt, hard, unresolved edge that you often hear on systems. Getting it right is hard, my system has gotten better over time and has yet made another step forward the last few days, with new speaker stands. More on that later. Of course, the sound is still removed from the real thing, but it is getting more believable.

 

[astrotoy]

There are 2 violons, 1 viola and 1 cello. The viola is slightly larger than a violin and sits next to the cello. This is the traditional arrangement for a quartet though there has been some experimentation with the viola on the center left and the cello on the center right with two violons opposite to each other. This was not an unusual placement at the classical period. The Festetics Quartet has recorded the complete quartets of Haydn that way and it is beautiful.

A picture showing Joseph Haydn as one of the violin players. The viola and the cello are sitting in the center.

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Great picture. To me it looks like Haydn on the far right is playing a viola - or else a giant violin. I play a 16.5" viola. My violin is a couple inches shorter. Haydn and Mozart both played violin and viola. Larry

 

[dcc]

As a former violin player, I had my doubts as well. I need to dig into Marc Vignal’s book on Haydn (one of the best biographies on Haydn). I did not have the time yesterday.

 

[dcc]

Hi Larry,

I checked in my books and also checked the booklets of the Festetics’ recordings. All confirmed that at the time of Haydn, the arrangment of the string quartet was as follows (from left to right): 1st violon, viola, cello and 2nd violin.

One thing that I forgot from my past readings is that Haydn was a man of very small stature. He suffered from malnutrition during his youth. This might explain why the instument he is playing on the painting looks more like a viola than a violin. Unfortunately, the instrument of the second player on the left is hidden and it is not possible to assess its size relative to Haydn’s one.

Kind regards,

Denis