Chiara Quartet plays Brahms by Heart

[Herman]

A couple weeks ago I got the 2CD with the Chiara String Quartet playing the three Brahms Quartets and the G major Quintet, Op 111, with Roger Tapping on the second viola.

What I was looking for was a more lively, spontaneous version of this music than the ones I have (Amadeus (twice), Italiano, Melos, Vogler, Artemis) and for now, the Chiara delivers.

This American quartet recorded these works 'by heart', i.e. without reading the score while playing. They just recorded the Bartok six in similar fashion. This is the way they've been performing for some time now, as a way to get closer to the edge, I guess. Some quartets perform standing on their feet; the Chiara stays put on their chairs, but there are nog music stands between them and the audience.

I don't quite understand how this works in the studio; I'm guessing someone in the engineers booth is reading the score to check if all the notes are in the right place, and otherwise there's going to be a second take. So what's the difference? Maybe they sound more 'in the moment'. I guess it's interesting that the Chiara are the total opposite of another string quartet who used to play by heart: the Italiano, who took everything very deliberate and beautiful. The Chiara sometimes sacrifice beauty of tone for (to quote the Beach Boys) excitation.

I'm guessing the nineties RCA recordings by the Vogler Quartet (coupled with Schumann) will remain my reference discs for drive and beauty, but I am enjoying the Chiara a lot now.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

This American quartet recorded these works 'by heart', i.e. without reading the score while playing. They just recorded the Bartok six in similar fashion. This is the way they've been performing for some time now, as a way to get closer to the edge, I guess. Some quartets perform standing on their feet; the Chiara stays put on their chairs, but there are nog music stands between them and the audience.

Interesting that you brought this up. I just heard half of their Bartok cycle at Ravinia (2, 4, 6) a couple of weeks ago.

They do indeed play the whole thing by heart. Although the playing wasn't always technically perfect, I was impressed by their tonal allure and general intensity.

Bartok puts a lot of strain on the instruments. During the 6th Quartet, the cellist snapped a string. While he was getting a new one, the violist told some viola jokes to amuse the audience.

[Karl Henning]

Putting the viola jokes to good use!

[Mister Sharpe]

Does anyone have a grip on the history of recording works performed by heart?  (Note the connotative weight the word heart carries here, very interesting...) Surely this has been done before - or not?

[Karl Henning]

Does anyone have a grip on the history of recording works performed by heart?  (Note the connotative weight the word heart carries here, very interesting...) Surely this has been done before - or not?

(This is not an answer to your question about the history.)

Take into consideration that the writer is a friend of mine (though that he is an excellent musician is not to be argued against):  what began as a blog became a book, written by a pianist-turned-harpsichordist who eventually found that the music-making was better, if he could unglue his eyes from the page.

[asin]B00QQIFERE[/asin]

[Herman]

Bartok puts a lot of strain on the instruments. During the 6th Quartet, the cellist snapped a string. While he was getting a new one, the violist told some viola jokes to amuse the audience.

Yeah, Sirota is the funny guy in the band.

[Jo498]

The Smetana Quartet played by heart in some stages of their career but I don't know about recordings.

[Mister Sharpe]

(This is not an answer to your question about the history.)

Take into consideration that the writer is a friend of mine (though that he is an excellent musician is not to be argued against):  what began as a blog became a book, written by a pianist-turned-harpsichordist who eventually found that the music-making was better, if he could unglue his eyes from the page.

[asin]B00QQIFERE[/asin]

Thanks, Karl, looks very interesting and worth the read, no doubt!  Does your friend list or discuss composers who preferred their works (or individual works) be performed auswendig gelernt?

[Herman]

The Smetana Quartet played by heart in some stages of their career but I don't know about recordings.

They did, but only their core rep: Smetana, Dvorak and Janacek. Maybe Beethoven.

I'm guessing the Chiara guys have already more works committed to their memory (or at least that's what they think) than the Smetana.

[Reckoner]

Somewhat related to the OP, the UK-based Aurora Orchestra has been performing symphonies from memory at least once a year for a while.

They performed Mozart 41 at the Proms this year in this way, as seen here:

(Performance begins @ 23:10)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsZ-IntMAqs

[jochanaan]

Does anyone have a grip on the history of recording works performed by heart?  (Note the connotative weight the word heart carries here, very interesting...) Surely this has been done before - or not?

I have read that in the 19th century, one conductor (Hans von Bulow?) required the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra to play from memory.   Except for the cellists and probably the bassoonists, they also played standing.

There is really no reason that instrumentalists can't memorize, like singers and pianists.   I once left behind my music for a quintet gig, and ended up playing the entire program from memory.   Once I've rehearsed something, I've got it half memorized anyway.

[Rinaldo]

There is really no reason that instrumentalists can't memorize, like singers and pianists.

I'm surprised there is (?) a difference in memorizing a piano piece (Roger Muraro's Messiaen comes to mind.. how on Earth is something like that possible..) and, say, a violin part. Isn't it actually easier, at least sometimes, as there are other parts playing that can jog your memory or nudge you in the right direction?

[Pat B]

Putting the viola jokes to good use!

And, more unusually, putting the violist to good use!

[zamyrabyrd]

I have read that in the 19th century, one conductor (Hans von Bulow?) required the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra to play from memory.   Except for the cellists and probably the bassoonists, they also played standing.
There is really no reason that instrumentalists can't memorize, like singers and pianists.   I once left behind my music for a quintet gig, and ended up playing the entire program from memory.   Once I've rehearsed something, I've got it half memorized anyway.

What I really can't stand are singers glued to the score. When they are highly paid, like Domingo, they can afford to take the time to learn by memory. Singers usually have less music to learn than instrumentalists. It is so important for them to convey the immediacy of the text as though they actually believed it to the audience without a book or music stand in front of them.

[Pat B]

There is really no reason that instrumentalists can't memorize, like singers and pianists.   I once left behind my music for a quintet gig, and ended up playing the entire program from memory.   Once I've rehearsed something, I've got it half memorized anyway.

I may be biased since memorization happened automatically for me, but I'm inclined to agree. Violin soloists play from memory all the time. For quartets it may be more a matter of convention than of really needing the music, at least for works they play a lot. Regardless, kudos to the Chiara for actually doing it.

But for those who really have to work at memorization, maybe it isn't worthwhile?

[Herman]

I may be biased since memorization happened automatically for me, but I'm inclined to agree. Violin soloists play from memory all the time. For quartets it may be more a matter of convention than of really needing the music, at least for works they play a lot. Regardless, kudos to the Chiara for actually doing it.

But for those who really have to work at memorization, maybe it isn't worthwhile?

From what I understand the Chiara really takes serious time out of their performing schedule to commit a work to memory.

I would like to read or hear more about how this works, including how it works in the studio, where someone has to check whether no mistakes have been made.

[amw]

Due to the fact that everyone memorises music differently, in a recording session not everyone is going to be able to "ok, let's take it from 5 after letter D" and the same applies for concert rehearsals. Perhaps part of the reason the Chiara Quartet has to take so much time is because all of the players must try to memorise the entire score (and its rehearsal marks/bar numbers), rather than simply their own part as usual.

Most ensemble players do tend to memorise large parts of their music and mostly use the score as a memory aid, emergency safety net and convenient place to note down interpretive details, so everyone simply learning their own part would be not a huge stretch, typically. I don't know how it works for them though.

[jochanaan]

...I would like to read or hear more about how this works, including how it works in the studio, where someone has to check whether no mistakes have been made.

Musicians know.  We know right away when something's not right, especially when we play from memory.  Our ears, hands and lungs tell us.

[Pat B]

I would like to read or hear more about how this works, including how it works in the studio, where someone has to check whether no mistakes have been made.

I suspect that most musicians who play with sheet music use it for the purposes amw described, not to determine whether they just made a mistake.

If I'm playing, and I forget my part or I flub, I really don't need somebody else to notify me.

FWIW I recently watched the DVD that came with Queyras's Bach Cello Suites. It has a documentary about the recording and a performance video of the 3rd suite. They don't even mention that he plays from memory. Queyras and the producer seemed much more concerned about interpretive decisions -- a little softer here, a bit more contrast there -- than about mistakes.

For a quartet, it's somewhat unconventional and cool but not unfathomable.

Here's a video about the Chiara's Brahms recording. You can see them rehearsing with music in front of them, and then with it off to the side. They also talk a bit about the decision to play from memory, implying that it was not a big additional burden.

https://www.youtube.com/v/LmAFMcrfivY

[Herman]

For a quartet, it's somewhat unconventional and cool but not unfathomable.

I love the 2nd violinist, don't know why, but she's got this intensity in her playing.

I could imagine playing from memory exclusively would limit one's repertoire. But maybe I'm mistaken about that.