There’s a new string quartet in town. In fact, it’s so new it doesn’t have a name. Yet, it is composed of four of the most formidable musicians in Canada.
The performers are some of the most vibrant in the region. Yeeun Ha (violin), Buon Park (violin), Clayton Leung (viola) and David Bordeleau (cello) join forces for an outdoor concert at St. Albert Botanic Park’s annual Garden Day on Sunday, July 30.
“I enjoy that we can sit down and rehearse. I get to hang out with my friends, play music and maybe have something to eat. We work at things, but for us it is also a social activity, which is why I like this job so much,” said Leung, a 10-year veteran with Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.
Every summer St. Albert Chamber Music Society partners with park organizers to perform a concert in an acoustically favourable natural space. The free family concert played in a relaxed environment attracts both music lovers and individuals who might not otherwise buy a ticket to a classical chamber concert.
As individuals, the musicians performed with the world’s most prestigious ensembles. The venues range from The Hague Symphony Orchestra in Netherlands, the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and Seocho Philharmoniker in Korea to the Ontario Philharmonic, Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Symphonie de Québec and ESO.
There is a great deal of freedom and passion in the quartet's upcoming repertoire, and the ensemble is dedicated to playing a concert full of daring and flair.
One of the string quartet’s selections is Joseph Haydn’s String Quartet in D Major, Opus 64, no. 5. It was dubbed The Lark by critic Richard Wigmore because of its soaring, circling violin melody in the first movement.
“Hayden was known as the Father of String Quartets. He was living the composer’s dream as composer-in-residence for the Esterházy family. He wanted to write about a bird, and this is a light composition – ideal for an outdoor concert. It’s a popular piece among string musicians,” Leung said.
In a salute to Latin music’s mushrooming impact on society, the quartet adds the rhythms and beats of three South American pieces. Included is Brazilian composer Zequinha de Abreau’s Tico Tico as well as Gerardo Matos Rodriguez and Roberto Firpo’s La Cumparsita, a sensual tango often performed at ballroom dance competitions. The final selection is Carlos Gardel’s tango, Por una Cabeza. It morphed into a huge hit after its sexy rhythms became part of the movie soundtrack for Scent of a Woman starring Al Pacino and Chris O'Donnell.
“We’ll also probably have some Disney music, but we don’t want to say too much. We’d like to have a few surprises,” Leung said.
The musicians will perform in the park’s gazebo. Listeners are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets and sunscreen. The concert runs 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. St. Albert Botanic Park is at 265 Sturgeon Road.
