If ever one needs a jolt of inspiration as well as comfort in turbulent times, the answer is simple: Beethoven for inspiration and Beethoven for comfort.
Recently, the Santa Ynez Valley was treated to a sublime concert that paired two great string compositions by Beethoven with performers of world-class caliber: the renowned Takács Quartet.
I have been fortunate to have heard this quartet in the San Francisco Bay Area several times and had to blink my eyes when I saw them announced as part of the Santa Ynez Valley Concert Series held at St. Mark’s-In-The- Valley.
This is not in any way to diminish the outstanding Santa Ynez Valley Concert Series — now in its 42nd season presenting fine classical music to our Valley. But, let’s be real. This ensemble has graced major concert halls from London to Madrid to Hong Kong. And, as Reverend Randall Day, Rector of St. Mark’s church said when introducing the esteemed quartet, “It just doesn’t make any sense that the Takács is in Los Olivos!”
The Takács Quartet was founded 48 years ago in Budapest. Of the four members of this string quartet (two violinists, a violist, and a celloist), only one, András Fejér, was part of the original four. The others, Edward Dusinberre, Harumi Rhodes, and Richard O’Neill have been with the group for varying amounts of time.
Dusinberre (violin) acted as spokesman for the group. When Day gave his introduction, Dusinberre countered with, “It makes complete sense for the concert to be at St. Mark’s.”
He was not just being polite, Beethoven’s string quartets were composed to be heard in a church. But besides that, I think he meant that St. Mark’s is a glorious place to hear classical music. Both the beauty of our local Los Olivos church and its excellent sound made for a spiritual evening.
I want to comment on the wonderfully appreciative audience.
We were accompanied by a friend from Santa Barbara, a UC Santa Barbara professor who knows his music. He introduced us to many friends of his from Santa Barbara who made the trip up to our little valley. What a switch —usually the traffic to fine classical events travels down the mountain to Santa Barbara.
I felt pride to hear how many Santa Barbara folks had made the trek up to our beautiful valley. I also saw one young man who had been walking around the church, seeming to be waiting to get a drink of water in the church’s lovely courtyard.
He noticed the crowd and asked my friend, the professor, what’s going on inside the church. My friend answered immediately, “Oh, a world class string quartet is performing.”
I noticed the young man go to the reception desk and buy a ticket and then I watched him become immersed in the music, jumping to his feet for the standing ovation after the concert.
Linda Burrow, the tireless organizer of the concert series, told me they had a sell-out crowd — even placing extra seats on the stage, behind the performers, and at stage right in the chapel.
The group performed two of Ludwig van Beethoven’s famous string quartets, Op. 127 and Op. 132.
It had been such a success when first performed, violinist Dusinberre told us, that a famous church other than the one it had been composed for, became jealous. Beethoven then sat down and wrote a separate quartet — for the other church!
These quartets are beautiful, each movement bringing another aspect of human experience to the listener. Dusinberre, in his remarks before each piece, told us that some resemble dances, some marches. However, he said, when people have tried to dance or march to Beethoven, it doesn’t work out very well! I didn’t need to have my feet move to this music. My heart and brain were alive and joyful.
At the concert’s conclusion, Robert Cassidy, the Santa Ynez Valley Concert Series artistic director and pianist, spoke a bit and said the Takaćs quartet would generously return to the stage and answer questions.
Cassidy began by asking how the group had changed and evolved in its 48-year history. It was interesting to hear the group answer that and other questions.
A young listener (teen-aged, perhaps) asked when each had begun playing their respective instruments. Other audience members asked about how each new addition to the group had affected the sound of the group. And, most fascinating, the quartet was asked how, with no real leader or conductor, they come in at the same exact second … sounding like one, not four musicians.
Rhodes — the only female member of the group — explained how the group is so in tune (forgive the pun) with each other, that body language and breath contribute to its precision.
Although we may not be graced with a group quite as world famous as the Takács, please treat yourself to the final concerts of the 2022-23 Santa Ynez Valley Concert Series.
On Saturday, May 13, flutist Demarre Mcgill and Rodolfo Leone, pianist, will perform at St. Mark’s, also at 7 p.m. You can get tickets and learn more at https://www.smitv.org/syv-concert-series.html.
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear beautiful classical music right here in our own neighborhood.
Elayne is an award-winning and best-selling novelist. Her new novel, The Earthquake Child, a story of an adoption from birth mother, adoptive mother and adoptee’s voices will be available June 20, wherever books are sold.