EVENT IS CANCELLED / POSTPONED DUE TO COVID-19 SITUATION.
John Kastelic and The Black Dog String Quartet present a two-part performance “Folk Songs & Brahms”. For the first part of the performance, joined by Tony Kastelic on viola, they will perform Brahms’ stunning String Quintet No. 2. The 2nd part of the evening will feature the folk songs of John Kastelic (singer/composer) for voice and string quartet. Erasing the lines between classical music and contemporary folk music, these songs sparkle with ingenuity, thoughtfulness, and a breathtaking lyricism.
When Brahms composed his String Quintet No. 2, Op. 111, in 1890, he intended it to be his final work. He wrote to his publisher, “With this note you can take leave of my music, because it is high time to stop.” Though he did not fully adhere to his resolution, this quintet represents a high point in the output of a master composer of chamber music. The viola was Brahms’ favourite string instrument, and the addition of a second viola adds a tremendous depth to the ensemble. The key of G major plays to the strengths of the instruments, and the writing is so rich that one can sometimes imagine they are listening to a symphony, not a quintet. It is Brahms through and through, from the sinewy cello melody that opens the piece to the Hungarian folk dance that brings it to an ecstatic conclusion.
As a counterpoint to the quintet, the Black Dog String Quartet also performs a set of original songs by their violist, John Kastelic. John is a composer and performer with his feet firmly planted in both the classical tradition and the contemporary folk music scene. His songs for string quartet and voice are a profoundly personal bridge between these sides of his musical career. With his brother, Tony Kastelic, filling his seat as violist in the Black Dog String Quartet, John takes up the microphone to perform his own compositions. Part art song and part folk pop, they sparkle with ingenuity, thoughtfulness, and a breathtaking lyricism. Written specifically with the members of Black Dog in mind, they showcase the diversity and talent of the ensemble
Performers are: Elyse Jacobson, Violin; Molly MacKinnon, Violin; Tony Kastelic, Viola; Doug Gorkoff, Cello; John Kastelic, Voice & Viola
ARTISTS WEBSITE: https://www.blackdogstringquartet.com/