Alexander String Quartet at the Baruch Performing Arts Center

           I'm not the biggest fan of classical music so I was not enthusiastic about the performance, but I do hold an appreciation and respect for the performers and their abilities to play such difficult music. To me classical music, especially being a string quartet, has a peaceful and soothing sound to it. It places me in a relaxing atmosphere where I can forget about everything and just stare at the performers and follow the bows move against the strings to create the beautiful music. My favorite parts of the performance were the final two, the String Quartet in A minor by Robert Schumann and the String Quartet No. 2 in B-flat major because they contained pieces in which the music would start off slow and build up speed and loudness as it progressed only to get slower again. What amazed me most about the performances was the speed and focus at which the performers coordinate to move their bows up and down across the bow. The unison of the violinists was remarkable because the parts in which they played similar notes became obvious. They would move at the same speed and precision so it seemed as though there was one performer rather than four or five. Attending this event introduced me to the theater we have hear at Baruch College, which I have never visited before nor did I know of its existence. I actually thought it was an amazing theater considering it belongs to the college. The seats were comfortable and the room was not too big so the performance felt more personal. Also the stage design was simple but satisfying since it was not over-the-top.