On Monday, November 16th the Alexander String Quartet was playing at Baruch's Performing Arts Center and the Guest artist was the viola player. They played Felix Mendelssohn's String Quartet in A minor and String Quintet in B-flat major and Robert Schumann's String Quartet in A minor.  There were four musicians who played together throughout the entire concert. 

This experience was interesting for me because it brought back so many memories for me of how I used to go to Lincoln Center with my parents as a young child and so as I was sitting there I felt like a little girl again.  When the musicians walked out and sat down I was filled with anticipation as to know the kind of music that they were going to play. What would it sound like? Would they be violent, tumultuous pieces or soft, soothing lullabies?  

When the quartet started to play I observed their movement in unison. I wondered how they were able to know when to begin without a conductor yet they commenced each piece together.  I watched throughout the pieces as each player's bow followed the others in perfect unison and then i realized that the way that each musician was able to keep track of the others was by breathing together. All throughout the performance the quartet was breathing in unison and that's how each knew when to begin each new piece of music. When I looked closely, I could see each musician's chest move up and down and I understood that I had been correct in my assumption. This feat was incredible for me because that really demonstrated their synergy as an ensemble. 

One last thing that I learned was that you are not supposed to clap in between musical peices you only clap for the musicians at the end of the concert or before intermission. I had forgotten this and so it was nice to be reminded of it. 

Overall I highly enjoyed this revisitation of classical music because I had forgotten how beautiful it is and the benefits of listening to it.