In case you are wondering, there is no one named Jack in the JACK quartet. The name is actually an anagram for its four members, John Pickford Richards, Ari Streisfeld, Christopher Otto, and Kevin McFarland. On March 8th, The University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theater and Dance hosted the JACK quartet as they performed a guest recital at Stamps Auditorium. The recital not only featured pieces composed by UMich students in the Composition PhD program at the School of Music, but two pieces by other contemporary composers. It was an incredibly diverse program that emphasized the talent and energy of what many call the “superheroes” of contemporary music.
A notable feature of this performance was the fact that the JACK quartet premiered Carolina Heredia’s piece, Ausencias/Ausencias/Absences. The piece was powerful, inspired by Heredia’s research into the suicides of female artists. Not only did she compose a beautiful piece for the quartet, but implemented an electronic element that featured moments or pieces of the lives of three female artists who committed suicide. Played in tandem with the quartet, the electronic elements combined seamlessly with the musicians, creating one powerful piece that expressed the sorrow and intensity of these talented women’s lives.
Throughout the performance, the quartet used their instruments in surprising and unique ways to produce a cacophony of sounds that was all at once dynamic, engaging, and unexpected. My previous experiences with string instruments has always been very traditional: the musician glides the bow across the strings and holds his or her finger down to produce different notes. But the pieces that the JACK quartet played were the exact opposite: untraditionally using their instruments to produce unique and often startling sounds. In Heredia’s piece, the quartet drummed on their instruments with their fingers during the third movement, and in Ritonrello 2.sq.2.j, they lightly tapped their bows against the strings to achieve a more muted pizzicato sound. This creativity produced a dynamic performance that was impossible not to enjoy.
However, the piece written by John Luther Adams, a composer known for his love of nature and the environment was the highlight. The Wind in High Places layered the sounds of the strings to create a tone that mimics the wind. None of the three sections sounded anything alike: the first section layered the sharp, high sounds of the violins over the softer, moving cello that died away slowly; the second section increased the intensity, as each instrument played quickly, meshing their sounds together; the third was a slow, steady and rhythmic conclusion to the piece. What was most significant, however, was that throughout this piece, the musicians never touched the fingerboard of their instruments. Their strings were played completely open or by only applying light pressure, creating sounds that resembled a harp, or wind chimes.
JACK quartet’s creativity and energy demonstrated the sharp difference between contemporary classical music and traditionally classical music. Their performance was enrapturing, my eyes unable to leave their as they played each piece. Overall, this dynamic and engaging performance made me rethink my definition of classical music as it presented an out-of-the-box recital that deserved the standing ovation it received. If you have are looking for a way to spice up your perspective on classical music, I highly recommend you check out JACK quartet.
