Classical chamber music and four-piece string ensembles have been around for ages, but one group from London, England is shaking things up.

The Villiers Quartet explores how dance, art, film, literature and digital media relate to traditional chamber music and fans of the genre. The group graced the stage Tuesday night at the Setnor Auditorium in Crouse College, and members of the audience relished their interplay of classical chamber music with a twist.

Andrew Waggoner, a professor of music composition, theory and history at Setnor and the organizer of the event, introduced the group. He explained that the group is one of four quartets invited to the university as part of the Setnor School of Music Guest Artist Series. Artists in the program are requested to play a concert and also work with students in the music program. Waggoner said he was especially excited for the Villiers Quartet to come to Syracuse University because two of its members were graduate students at Setnor years ago.

“I’ve worked with the Villiers Quartet over the years in London,” Waggoner said. “I wanted to invite them to return to their alma mater, and it has been great. They’ve been working a lot with the students here.”

With a round of applause from the audience, the Villiers Quartet took the stage.

The group consists of James Dickenson and Tamaki Higashi on the violin, Carmen Flores on the viola and Nick Stringfellow on the cello. The four musicians took their seats and began with a performance of Benjamin Britten’s “Three Divertimenti,” which was composed in 1936.

The progression of the melody was suspenseful from the start — reminiscent of a horror film. The song’s tone then progressed through more uplifting sections, as well as dramatic transitions before moving back to a more dissonant sound.

After taking a short break to tune its instruments, the quartet returned to the stage to perform the next piece in the program: “Arcadiana, Op.12” by Thomas Ades. The song contained seven different sections, each with a distinct and pleasant sound. The instrumentation in each section was the highlight of the song and each member of the quartet had shining moments, which were emphasized by the others’ softer dynamics.

Following one last break, the four players began the final piece on the program, “String Quartet Op.88 1918” by Edward Elgar. This song had an elegant melody and the lightest tone of the night, distinctly contrasting with the previous songs in the set list. Different sections in “String Quartet Op.88 1918” evoked feelings of being at a ballet, which was another reminder of the Villiers Quartet’s progressive exploration of dance, art and film in the context of classical chamber music.

The audience erupted in applause for the Villiers Quartet and eventually gave the group a standing ovation, which may have been the impetus for the group to return once more for an impromptu encore performance of “Cherry Ripe” by Frank Bridge. The encore was short and sweet, and the group finally exited the stage for the final time to the sounds of a very pleased audience.

Sarah Mahonski, a medical student at State University of New York Upstate Medical University, said she enjoyed the refreshing sound of the Villiers Quartet.

“I was surprised at how abstract they sounded,” Mahonski said. “I’m used to stronger melodies, so it was a nice change of pace to hear how all four of them played off each other to create a different sound.”

Waggoner, the organizer of the event, expressed his appreciation for the musicians, who have not only offered advice and mentoring to the students, but have also played through some of the music composed by students.

“It’s great because the performance students get to play their music for the quartets, and the quartets also perform music that the composition students have written and may not have ever heard performed live before,” Waggoner said.

Those who were unable to attend last night’s performance still have several opportunities to enjoy the Villiers Quartet live at the university. The Belfer Audio Archive is kicking off its 50th anniversary celebration on Oct. 31, and will host a variety of concerts, film screenings, lectures and seminars. More information can be found at belferat50.syr.edu.

Published on October 30, 2013 at 1:35 am

Contact Tom: tsharkey@syr.edu