Jane and I took a break from winter weather and stresses of ordinary life to attend a music performance at the Tractor Tavern near our home. The Tractor normally features rock - folk - country types, but this time the performer was Matt Haimovitz, an Israeli-born cellist now a music professor at McGill, I think.
In a tiny, cramped space next to the bar (Mac & Jack on tap), he came out to the tiny stage and opened by telling us that his instrument was 300 years old, built in 1710. He started by telling us that he would play one of Domenico Gabrielli's pioneering "Seven Ricercare" which were composed about the time his cello was made, and then something by a contemporary composer, Elliott Carter.
He repeated this pattern half a dozen times, and both the old and new music contained notes and chords I'd never heard before and finger and bow work I'd never imagined . . plucking, skipping, thumping. The comment in the title is Jane's idea and it captures the feel of the evening perfectly.
I thought of all you string players and wished you could have been with us.
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1 comment:
I wish I could have been there too, Bart. Sounds like a cool venue, as well as an interesting show.
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