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Short Review of ConcertBlodgett Chamber Music Series at Harvard: the Ying Quartet by David Cleary The Ying Quartet (Timothy and Janet Ying on violin, Phillip Ying on viola, and David Ying on cello) have for several years now been requesting music from noteworthy composers as part of their "Life Music" commissioning project. The latest of these, Icefield Sonnets by Pierre Jalbert , is a gripping, motivically economic work inspired by the poetry of Anthony Hawley. Its opening movement, slow, stoic, and crystalline, lies in strong contrast to the piece's tersely intense midsection. The finale cleverly integrates elements of all that precedes in a construct combining ternary and narrative curve. Despite nods to Bartok in its harmonic language and ostinato use, Jalbert's compositional style is not derivative. The quartet played terrifically well, mindful of the work's myriad textures as well as its exacting demands on technical execution. |