Chamber Ensemble holds riveting performances

The University of Rhode Island’s Department of Music held a concert showcasing the Guitar Ensemble, the Clarinet Choir and the String Quintet last Saturday, Dec. 5.

To begin the performance, the first section of the URI Clarinet Quartet played “Flashes for Clarinet Quartet”, written by Charles Lesaffre. This quartet consisted of Linda Carpenter, Amber Hosmer, and Tyler Tashdijan on clarinet, and Hannah Hoyle on bass clarinet. The intricate parts and clashing notes of this piece gave a sense of urgency to the arrangement, and were handled well by the members of the quartet.

Next, the URI Guitar Ensemble took the stage to perform two pieces. This ensemble consisted of Preston Lind, Andre Marcelin and Austin Coley on classical guitar. They began their performance with “Canarios”, a baroque guitar piece by Gaspar Sanz. This piece featured a major key, with intricate and beautiful parts that were handled very well by the three players. Next, the trio played Summer Suite, a piece by Romana Hartmetz. The three part were more separated for this piece, with a defined bass, middle and lead part, each of which was wonderfully handled by the players of the trio.

The second section of URI’s Clarinet Quartet took the stage next to perform a piece called “Molly on the Shore,” a piece by Percy Grainger, arranged by William A.R. May. The quartet consisted of Casey Turner, Samantha Hackenson and Anne Veeger on clarinet, with Remy Filiaggi on bass clarinet. The piece was full of intricate runs of notes that traded between instruments, which the quartet played with technical skill and a balance of dynamics.

Following this, the URI String Quintet performed “Quintet in Eb Major, Op. 97” by famed Czech composer Antonín Dvořák. The quintet consisted of Helen Ianni and Michael Genese on violin, Brandon Kaplan and Caroline Herrero on viola, and faculty coach and professor Theodore Mook on cello. The longest piece in the performance, this elegant arrangement featured many crescendos and falls, held together wonderfully by veteran performer Mook.

The URI Clarinet Choir, which included members from both Clarinet Quartets, took the stage next, performing “Sonatina” by Jerome Moross, movements “Allegro”, “Andante” and “Vivace.” This choir consisted of Linda Carpenter, Casey Turner, Samantha Hackenson and Anne Veeger on clarinet, Tyler Tashdijan on alto clarinet and Hannah Hoyle on bass clarinet. The piece, with many layers and overlapping parts, was roughly 10 minutes in length, and was the final wind performance of the afternoon.

To close the performance, the URI String Quintet returned to perform one last piece. They played “Quintet No. 2 in C Minor, K. 406, Allegro” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Also a long piece, the quintet played passionately, finishing off the afternoon’s performance with a powerful piece.

The Department of Music has events planned for the remainder of the semester, with the full schedule available here: http://web.uri.edu/music/event-calendar/.