Midway through the Tokyo String Quartet performance I find myself asking how I have managed to keep under control, as a nearby audience member seems to be engaging in either a deep sleep or bit of moaning. In other words, my attention was not focused on the Tokyo String Quartet performance. This is not a show for people (myself included) who cannot remain still or focused on one thing for long periods of time. For those of you who can endure sitting through an entire set of classical music– keep reading this review. The Tokyo String Quartet (including violinist Martin Beaver, violinist Kikuei Ikeada, violist Kazuhide Isomura, and cellist Clive Greensmith) is a tribute to three different classical music creators. Due to the different tones of each composer (Franz Joseph Haydn, Bela Bartok, and Claude Debussy), each piece felt like something new. The introduction Allegro con Brio and Menuetto: Allegretto were very interesting pieces that flowed well together. The fading in and out between two violins against the cello and the viola was well executed. This piece seemed to run very smooth before bursting into very fast and high peaks.
The next piece (Bela Bartok) was my personal favorite. It was very loud and present. It reminded me of my favorite horror movies when the killer is making an advance towards the unsuspecting victim. Although every instrument seemed to take a lead, the real star was the Cello. The Cello was what I noticed most in this piece. When the piece was slow and took its time I did find a sense of emotion in it. It was best at the middle of the show as it was a little too dark and sad to be an introduction or a closing piece. Because of the nearby moaning audience member, the last piece of the show (Claude Debussy) completely lost my attention. Not only was it the least exciting part of the show, it did not have enough command to try to regain my attention. I was disappointed that this last piece did not have the same kind of emotional connection as the previous two pieces. I feel like the show could’ve ended on a much higher note and I was left unsatisfied with the show.
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