Sonority, the quality of sound, is a captivating business for those willing to experiment with it, especially in the case of instruments working together in seemingly new combinations. “It’s interesting and unusual,” said cellist Joshua Gindele. “It’s not something people would have heard before, which is kind of exciting.”
| ONSTAGE |
| The Milo Quartet with Colin Curie |
| » Where: The Terrace Theatre at The Kennedy Center |
| » When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday |
| » Info: $32; 800-444-1324 or 202-467-4600; kennedy-center.org |
Gindele is part of the Miro Quartet, one of America’s highest-profile chamber groups. At work here is their brilliant pairing with the classical percussionist Colin Curie, a man known for his versatility and dramatic intensity. The sonority created by the five is presented at Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theatre in a repertoire that is both standard and experimental.
Along with Gindele, quartet members Daniel Ching and Tereza Stanislav on violins, and John Largess playing viola add their flair. Stanislav is substituting for the original violinist, Sandy Yamamoto, currently on a leave of absence.
No strangers to musical collaboration, both the quartet and Currie have established a reputation for charismatic performances. The five players made their joint debut in February at the University of Texas at Austin where the quartet members serve as artists-in-residence.
“I have to admit, I was a little nervous about the combination,” Gindele continued. “[Currie] is such a spectacular player and the repertoire is a little unusual and challenging to learn, but it definitely [went] over well. There’s something very compelling visually about a percussionist flinging mallets all over the place, from marimbas to percussion across the board.”
Schubert’s Quartet for Strings No. 12 is the show opener, followed by a Steven Reich piece, “Nagoya Marimbas,” a percussion solo. The musicians come together for a finale by Steve Martland titled “Starry Night,” a minimalist piece and one that Gindele refers to as “a tough one.”
“It’s a very driving and intense piece that demands an enormous amount of focus and energy from the players, which is why we’re ending with it,” he said.
That the Miro Quartet enjoys the best of both worlds given the variety of music written for the strings is obvious.
“The concert is going to appeal to a slightly more progressive audience,” Gindele said. “It’s going to be relaxed and fun; a real feast for people’s ears.”
