The Cypress String Quartet

Yesterday, I walked over to San Jose's City Hall to hear a free lunchtime concert in the beautiful rotunda.

The Cypress String Quartet (CST) was slated to perform.

To warm up the audience, which numbered around 80 people at its peak, the group began with Mozart's String Quartet No. 21 in D Major. They played the second and third movements (Allegretto and Adante). I was mesmerized by the melody and impressed by the acoustics of the dome.

Next, the quartet introduced Kurt Rohde, a local composer, who spoke about the brand new string quartet the CST commissioned him to write as part of their Call & Response program.

The piece is called Gravities and it was written in response to Bartok's String Quartet No. 6. The CST gave us a taste of it by playing the third movement, Danced. They'll be performing the entire song at the Montalvo Arts Center on April 17th.

While listening to the composition, I was caught up in the ever-changing flow and rhythm of the music. The emotions evoked were rawer and more jarring than those I felt during Mozart's piece.

The last piece the CST performed was Dvorak's String Quartet No. 106 in G Major. They played the third and fourth movements. This one was my favorite of the set. It was lively, with spots of humor, and it left me wishing the group could have played longer.

As it was, the concert lasted 45 minutes and I had just enough time to gather my things and return to the office.

I certainly wish there were more noontime concerts in downtown San Jose. Live classical music in the middle of the day is a welcome escape from the doldrums of cubicle life. I can't wait for the next musical getaway.