The Sounds of Strings Draw an Intimate Show at Marple Library

BROOMALL–On March 31, Bill Conville, board member of the Friends of the Marple Library and Delaware County Symphony, began setting up rows of chairs in the basement meeting room of the Marple Public Library in anticipation for a classical concert that evening. 

Conville said he enjoys inviting speakers and musicians to perform at the local library and at events like these, it's hard to judge how many chairs are needed. His programs have ranged from Jane Austin-style dancing to lectures on the Titanic.  Last fall, they featured the Penn Flutes Chamber Ensemble from the University of Pennsylvania performing arias from traditional operas. 

Thursday evening brought the Ilyria String Quartet featuring violinist Anida Goga of the Delaware County Symphony. As the musicians began to warm up, the soothing yet dramatic sounds of strings began luring more and more people.  Conville and his crew eventually had to set up more chairs. By the time the show began, the meeting room held a captive audience of about 60-70 people. 

Springfield residents Peter and Kathy Karamlengos said they usually go to the Delaware County Symphony shows, but were delighted to hear about the performance at the local library. The couple has been listening to classical music for years. Karamlengos claimed he introduced his wife to classical music, but she was quick to correct him. By the end of the evening, they forgot who introduced who to the music genre and simply enjoyed the sounds of strings during the concert.

The Marple library may not have the acoustics of the Kimmel Center, but the smaller room added to the original concept of "chamber music."

"Chamber music by definition and intent was composed for performance in a chamber–a room in the palace and not in a space larger than a large room, or a hall or auditorium. Can it be done in a hall or a auditorium? Yes, of course, but being physically close and next to the musicians allows the music to flow over one's entire body, not just the ears," explained Conville.

Goga and the Ilyria String Quartet chose three unique pieces for the evening, including Haydn's "String Quartet No. 26 in G minor, Op 20, No. 3"; Beethoven's
"String Quartet in C minor, Op 18. No. 4" and Tchaikovsky's "String Quartet no.1 in D Second Movement (Andante Cantabile)." All three composers wrote a huge amount in the string quartet genre, but these specific three pieces nicely commplemented each other.

"Both quartets [Haydn and Beethoven] are associated with the 'Sturm und Drang' movement. They are both in minor keys and convey a wide range of emotions,” explained Goga. 

Strum and Drang literally translates into storm and urge.  This 18th century German movement contained strong action and high emotional content, which is very accurate of each piece. There were uplifting moments with hints of romance and an echo of the past. The sound of the quartet could make any member of the audience forget the traffic and other stresses of modern life, performing a variety of musical emotions with grace.

The performance began with an introduction by Carolyn Meehan, wife of Congressman Pat Meehan.  A musician herself, Meehan recalled the days she used to carry her heavy cello around her college campus and described how this style of music has a "depth and profundity that remains a mystery."

Although small in scale in comparison to the larger-scale concerts she's played, Goga believes playing at smaller community events will raise awareness for the symphony and the genre.

"We enjoy playing chamber music and like to share the joy and excitement that we get from it.  It is so much fun," she said.  "Classical music can be serious, dramatic, silly and can cover all the emotions."

Music lecturer for the Delaware County Symphony Michael Kelly also took a few moments during the concert to discuss the history of the pieces that were performed that evening.  He proclaimed he was not a musicologist, but that he just "loves serious music." 

Kelly's fascinating history lecture paired with the beautiful performance should have definitely won over a few new chamber music fans Thursday evening.