Quartet in Autumn

[Bella Kemp]

Each year, always at around this time, myself and three friends meet up for a weekend away in the country where we walk, read and, above all, rehearse a string quartet for a performance (to ourselves and the cats of our host) on the Sunday night. This year we are to play the Beethoven Op. 132. I should also add that for these few days we live in an entirely media free and internet free zone, and it is intensely pleasurable. Do any other forumistas, I wonder, ever do such a thing?

[french frank]

Do any other forumistas, I wonder, ever do such a thing?

If only ... That sounds idyllic! I did once play second fiddle in a village 'Portsmouth Sinfonia' orchestra. The enjoyment was there for us but it was not intense for the audience at our Christmas concerts.

[pastoralguy]

Each year, always at around this time, myself and three friends meet up for a weekend away in the country where we walk, read and, above all, rehearse a string quartet for a performance (to ourselves and the cats of our host) on the Sunday night. This year we are to play the Beethoven Op. 132. I should also add that for these few days we live in an entirely media free and internet free zone, and it is intensely pleasurable. Do any other forumistas, I wonder, ever do such a thing?

I used to before I gave up playing the fiddle! Three friends and I used to do weekend string quartet courses in Glasgow where top professionals would give advice on how to improve. Saturday afternoon was always made free so one could play other works with fellow players. I always used to try to fix up a group to play the Brahms Sextets.

In our quartet, we would have an hour a day where each member would bring a work they wanted to try. The ‘cellist brought Schubert, the viola player always had Dvorak, the other violinist late Beethoven and I usually dragged the Elgar Quartet along.

Actually. Op.132 was one of our party pieces and over the years we played the whole quartet in the little concert on the Sunday nite.

Happy days.

[smittims]

What a splendid idea to keep alive such a long-standing tradition. For centuries, I think, most music was played at home by friends and relatives. This is the foil to the other thread on just listening to music.

[Serial_Apologist]

What a splendid idea to keep alive such a long-standing tradition. For centuries, I think, most music was played at home by friends and relatives. This is the foil to the other thread on just listening to music.

And OP 132! - a brave and sure to be fulfilling project to undertake. Well done, Bella & friends.

[kernelbogey]

And OP 132! - a brave and sure to be fulfilling project to undertake. Well done, Bella & friends.

<awestruck emoji>

[Padraig]

Lost in admiration and regret for a dream that never could have come true.