By Sarah McMillin, Staff Writer
The Metta String Quartet performed a concert containing just two pieces on Feb. 2 in Stretansky Music Hall.
The first was Antonin Dvorak’s “String Quartet in E-flat Major” and the second was Franz Schubert’s “String Quintet in C Major.” Both pieces contain four movements.
The Metta String Quartet was founded in 2011 and is composed of Adjunct Faculty in Music Marcus Smolensky and Blanka Bednarz on violin, Christopher Para on viola and Rachel Stambach on cello.
The ensemble also brought in guest cellist Cheung Chau for the quintet.
The group was excited to perform the two pieces for the community.
“We try to impart the joy we feel from the music to our audience,” Smolensky said. “I suppose it’s the same impulse that motivates adventurers to seek out spectacular destinations, or culinary aspirants to try certain challenging, but delicious, recipes.”
“The opportunity to rehearse and perform the Schubert, ‘Quintet in C Major’ and the Dvorak, ‘E-flat Major Quartet’ was simply too delicious and compelling to resist,” Smolensky continued.
“It is an additional joy to introduce these works to an audience,” Smolensky said. “One can actually ‘see’ the musical conversation, watch the theme pass from one musician to the next, see the musical commentary from the other musicians.”
Junior Melanie Sonatore said she appreciated the concentration and connection of the group.
“I was thoroughly impressed with the cohesiveness of this chamber group and how they carried themselves when they performed,” Sonatore said. “Being a music major and in chamber groups myself, I am very familiar with the communication that is key for a chamber group to perform well together.”
Sonatore was also impressed with the endurance and stamina of the group. As they only performed two full pieces, one in each half of the concert, there was no time to pause and rest except for intermission.
“They were able to bring equal amounts of energy to each movement and still pay attention to the key details of each measure,” Sonatore said.
In addition to Susquehanna, Metta String Quartet members also hold faculty positions at Dickinson, Bucknell and York College.