The slow movement of Kodaly’s Serenade invokes a hushed nightscape full of bird song and insect sounds which makes for a place of reverent stillness in the midst of feisty Hungarian dance rhythms and bold melodies of the outer two movements. Kodaly spent a good deal of his youth journeying along Hungarian countryside collecting folk songs and dances and it’s easy to see where he drew inspiration for this and most of his other works.

Mendelssohn’s youth was radically different. A child prodigy, he was already considered a prominent composer with a symphony, an opera, a famous string octet and an overture under his belt (to name a few) by the time he was 18. It was at that tender age that he wrote his first string quartet, yet immature is the last word that comes to mind while listening to this great tempest of Romantic writing. In it all the boisterous and even furious tumult of teenage years is present and celebrated and yet the young composer was already more than capable of mastering these forces and bending them to his will. An abundance of lyricism, which always came naturally to Mendelssohn, balances the work and provides much needed closure at the end.

Please let us know if you would like to attend one of the concerts and if you will be bringing guests. Since these are private residencies the addresses are kept private, however they will be included on the invitation you will receive once we hear from you. No tickets are necessary however there will be a $20 suggested donation at the door.