Chamber Music = Classical Music’s Rock Bands
by Ari Koinuma on Nov.05, 2009, under (Heavy) Music Heals, Pensive Rock
Over the past years I’ve really gotten into chamber music. String qurtets, of course, but also Piano Quintets and Quartets. I’m mainly a string guy (guitars are stringed instruments!) so I’m really not into brass or woodwind quintets, for some reason.
Anyway, the fun thing about chamber music is its intimacy and players’ personalities and feelings really coming through. Different groups have different personalities and sounds. It’s not quite as obvious as rock bands — it’s not like they’re using different distortion pedals — but still, character is important and fun in music.
I highly recommend you check out your local library if you want to explore some new musical territories. This morning I’m listening to Fauré’s two Piano Quartets by the Ames Piano Quartet. I’m really not familiar with this French composer but so far these two quartets, both in minor keys, are excellent. (Being a tragic romantic, I tend to like pieces in minor keys) I really enjoy what I heard so far of Takács Quartet’s reading of Beethoven string quartets — I imagine those are what Hendrix are to guitarists for string quartets. Also, Kronos Quartet’s disc of Górecki’s String Quartet #3 — not something I listen to everyday, as it’s quite understated, dissonant and challenging — yet it’s very rewarding.
Chamber music seems like a really underappreciated area of music. String quartets show up here and there in pop music but like I said before, they really aren’t arranged in a way to really take advantage of their range. I think string quartets or piano quintets would make a terrific format to score some classy, understated film. And I sometimes daydream of having a rock band consisting of string quartets + guitar, bass and drums — and just writing some crazy heavy stuff (if you doubt strings’, particularly cellos, ability to play heavy music, check out Apocalyptica).
Anyway, if you like complex rock bands and want to expand your horizon, chamber ensembles are a great place to go. It’s a very rich field — I don’t claim to have really tapped into myself. But that’s what makes it fun, too — it’s a deep well.
