Circadian Quartet: From Another Galaxy?
The four musicians arrived from some unfamiliar far-off planet, I think, perhaps grads of some galactic conservatory, and the results could not have been more refreshing.
The secret of the Circadian Quartet is breaking with routine and pushing the envelope. The players will set aside their strings in favor of drumming, hitting a tamtam or tambourine, and singing some Russian folk song. A narrator will intersperse some poetry about love, even translated lines from the 14th-century Persian legend Hafez. If you like variety, you’ll love the Circadians.
The Circadian format varies from night to night. This time the focus was on Central Asia and Persia, building on themes of love, mysticism and sacrifice. The Circadian linchpin is violinist David Ryther, who ventures singing those folksongs in idiomatic duets when not creating a boiled-down touring version of Igor Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring.”
Skeptical at first—how could a few strings replicate the jarring ferocity of this symphonic trailblazer?—I found this “Rite” rich and inspiring. Versatile Omid Azadi worked the contrasting drums and tamtam, then would rush to pluck pizzicatos on his viola while still holding drumsticks.
It’s a brutal work, requiring bowing like dagger thrusts in the culminating (human) Sacrificial Dance. The 38-minute opus comes off as a jarring tasting menu of the original, eminently portable. Given the add-ons, Ryther’s arrangement is much more effective than the well-known piano reductions of this classic; the quartet’s main challenges are keeping the main musical elements audibly at the forefront.
The striking dissonances that caused Parisians to riot a century ago are still there—it’s as if some of the parts were written in the wrong clef or key. Nonetheless, at the last Stravinskyan note the other night the whole audience of about 40 burst out, standing as if one for the concluding heated ovation.
The rest of the program was truly from the East. The Russian songs featured the idiomatic, throaty folk singer Lily Storm. Other works were interesting contrapuntal pieces by modern Iranian-Americans Reza Vali and Sahba Aminikia, 37. Vali’s “Folk Songs Set 11B” (without folk singer) featured melismatic fiddles, as well as quartertones in the Lament selected and fine-tuned as “causing great pain.” Aminikia’s “Weight of the World” (already reviewed here last year) featured poetry of Hafez and Beat poet Allen Ginsberg. Strange bedfellows, yes. But what bedfellow was not?
Other quartet members were Monika Gruber, who stepped in on short notice, and cellist David Wishnia. Nikolaus Hohmann was the polished narrator in this epic program given before far too small an audience.
Circadian Quartet in “Mystic Circles” concert April 13 at the Old First Concerts, 1751 Sacramento, San Francisco. For Old First info: go online. For Circadians: go online.
