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William Fedkenheuer, John Largess, Daniel Ching and Joshua Gindele.[/caption]
By Dawn Watson
For those who want the best of the best, the Hamptons is the place to be. From fashion and design trends, to luxury real estate prices, and even classical music performances, the South Fork sets the pace.
Case in point is the upcoming Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival’s spring concert on Sunday, April 26, featuring The Miró Quartet. The famed musicians—violinists Daniel Ching and William Fedkenheuer, violist John Largess and cellist Joshua Gindele—are known throughout the world, playing on some of the most prestigious international stages. In fact, after performing a program of Franz Schubert, Aaron Copland and Joseph Haydn at the Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church this weekend, the four popular instrumentalists will take the stage at the Kennedy Center in Manhattan three days later to play works by Schubert, Copland and Hugo Wolf.
The local program will include works from Haydn’s “String Quartet in D Minor, Op. 76, No. 2, ‘Fifths;’” Copland’s “Rondino” from “Two Pieces for String Quartet;” and Schubert’s “String Quartet in G Major, D. 887.” Opening with Haydn, the performance will feature the composer’s masterly inventiveness, which is still as relevant today as when it was written in 1796. The next piece, by Copland, is a miniature study in counterpoint and jazzy rhythms. The final word of the performance will be a Schubert’s monumental creation for string quartet.
“It’s a rarely performed piece, a real masterpiece and testament to Schubert’s genius,” says Mr. Gindele, who took time last week from his busy touring schedule to talk about the group’s upcoming Bridgehampton performance. He notes that The Miró Quartet has not only centered an entire soon-to-be-released recording project around this particular “underplayed” piece, the last that the composer wrote before his death, but that it is also featured in their Emmy-nominated documentary “Transcendence,” which was released in fall 2014.
Known for their vibrant playing style and deeply musical interpretations, the string musicians, whose group name pays tribute to imaginative Spanish surrealist Joan Miró, are not only artists of the highest order, they are also tremendous crowd-pleasers, says Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival Founder Marya Martin.
“This is a group that has played together for 18 years. Their sound, and approach to the music, is nothing short of extraordinary,” she says. “We are going to get a tremendous performance from them.”
Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival regulars will get the same top-notch performance they expect from the annual summer shows, says Ms. Martin, who let slip that the Hamptons-own Roger Waters will narrate a performance of Igor Stravinsky’s “The Soldier’s Tale” at Channing Daughters Winery this coming August. In keeping with the caliber of the now three-decades old series, the program featuring The Miró Quartet on Sunday will definitely not disappoint, she adds.
“Come. Sit. Let the music take you back to another time,” she says. “You’ll enjoy the journey and leave with a smile on your face.”
And for those would-be fans who might be daunted by classical music, don’t be, says Mr. Gindele. The guys from Miró might not be rock stars, but they are definitely not stuffy either.
“This music is approachable. It’s to be shared,” he says. “At the end of the day, we hope you’ll think of us as four really nice guys who want to break down the barriers. And perhaps share a pint.”
The Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival will host a concert featuring The Miró Quartet on Sunday, April 26, at 5 p.m. at the Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church. Tickets are $40 and $50, and $10 for students. For reservations, visit www.bcmf.org or call (212) 741-9403.
27east on Apr 22, 2015