If it seems like just last week that Viridian Strings was in IPR’s Studio A, it's probably because they were just in IPR's Studio A last week.
The group played a pair of recitals for piano quintet last weekend, but now they’ve sent the double bass and pianist on their way and are preparing for a series of recitals this weekend for string trio.
The trio includes founders Joe Skerik, who plays the viola, and Kyle Stachnik, who plays the cello. They’re joined by violinist Nathan Meltzer.
This weekend's program includes music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Jean Cras and Sergei Taneyev.
The divertimento for string trio by Mozart that Viridian is playing this weekend had none other than Mozart himself playing the viola at the piece's premiere in 1789.
Viridian violist Joe Skerik says he can definitely detect Mozart's unique style in this piece.
"It's like you're getting to speak with Mozart," he said. "And you're kind of mad at him, because it's really hard."
The trio is also performing music that is probably less well known by the composer Jean Cras (1879-1982).
"It's a different kind of style," Stachnik said. "It's amazing. He makes up his own key signatures to get these really distinct sounds."
The musicians also discussed how they respond when something disruptive happens during a recital.
From hearing aids that emit high-pitched feedback to literal earthquakes, these musicians have experienced all types of disruptions.
They almost always keep going, though.
"We notice these things, but at the end of the day, we all look at each other, sync up and just keep going," Stachnik said.
The only times they've ever stopped during a recital, though, was when one of the musicians broke a string and had to leave the stage to repair it. None of them said they had ever stopped in response to audience disruption.
"Things happen all the time in every concert," Meltzer said. "You're never going to be in a situation where it's pristine silence. But the audience is what makes performance possible."
They noted that the larger the audience, the more greater likelihood of disruption.
"The more people that are in a hall, the more of those things happen. It just comes with the territory," Skerik said. "We would gladly take more people that are present to hear the music."
This string trio version of Viridian Strings is presenting three free recitals in the region this week: Thursday at Sacred Heart in Elk Rapids, Friday at the Suttons Bay Congregational Church and Saturday at the Oliver Art Center in Frankfort.
Admission to Oliver Art Center Saturday is free, but attendees are asked to reserve tickets in advance of the performance.
Music performed in Studio A
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Divertimento for String Trio in E-flat major (K. 563): I. Allegro
Jean Cras, String Trio: II. Lent
Jack Conners engineered this edition of Studio A.
We had production support from Emma Stadelmann.
