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Last Friday night, the Chiara String Quartet played for the packed Montague Bookmill. There were people sitting on the floors, and people were unsuccessfully attempting to sneak in just to hear a glimpse of the aromatic music. While the Bookmill and the quartet wanted everybody to hear the show, the already overfilled room was creating a hefty fire hazard. "We loved the vibe," said viola player, Jonah Sirota. For a group that feeds off its surroundings, the Montague Bookmill on Friday night was the perfect place. The small, darkly lit room, that was over packed allowed for all styles of classical music. The shadows of the bookshelves seemed to come alive through the course of the night, rhythmically swaying with the quartet. While these types of concerts are generally proper, the Chiara String Quartet encouraged clapping and cheering at the end of every song. This loosened up the crowd and everybody was enjoying themselves. The peak of the show was during the second set, when the Quartet played three parts of the "Icefield Sonnets," a peaceful set with overtones of panic. The sonnets were influenced by a scenic drive through glaciers in Canada. Violinist Rebecca Fischer recited each sonnet before playing in a beat poet manner. The first line of the first sonnet, "cold is a cell," was absolutely perfect for the slow, fantastic plunge that the music described. The second sonnet, titled "Glass is a Place," had an immediate, edgy mood. The quartet began plucking their strings, creating a twisted popcorn sound. The audience was trapped in a wordless awe that resulted in a restrained standing ovation. During the third sonnet, "North is a Notion," the quartet became sirens trying to swallow us whole. The jerking movements that the quartet created while playing seemed to strike their desires further. "We can't always do the "Icefield Sonnets." It depends upon the intimacy of the crowd, so tonight was perfect," Sirota said. The finale began with a full-on, in-your-face noise that was fast paced. The quartet only slowed down to let us catch our breath, but that was short lived since they picked it back up with a fireworks ending. The crowd was not pleased that the Chiara String Quartet was finished, so the generally reserved crowd was up in verbal arms of cheers and clapping. The quartet decided to play one final song, fittingly from the pages of Mozart. It was simply beautiful, the long, dramatic music that can make doves weep. The crowd knew that they had listened to a masterpiece show. Afterwards, the musicians hung around to talk with the audience as well. While the Quartet played for less than two hours, the audience was fully satisfied by the stellar performance of which they were privileged to hear. The quartet finished its tour on Saturday night, but rest assured they will be wandering through the forests of New England again.
Michael Hardman can be reached at mhardman@student.umass.edu
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