Event Description

8:30pm. Proof of COVID vaccination is required upon entry.

You can watch the livestream here: https://youtu.be/-qZw7r02_dc

Spektral Quartet fell for their recent commission from Samuel Adams…hard. It’s energizing and hypnotic and unexpected, and this February, they’re going to perform a movement for you and bring Sam up on stage with them to unearth what makes this phenomenal music sizzle.

Current is the result of a friendship that deepened during Sam’s tenure as composer-in-residence for the quartet’s hometown band, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Perhaps the most unusual element of it is that it employs snare drums, but not in the way you might expect.

This particular episode of Once More, With Feeling! is poised to be as eye-opening for Spektral as it is for you. To whet your proverbial whistle, here’s what Sam did divulge to them when delivering the score:

“The result is a virtuosic display of four individuals performing with artificial, indifferent musical elements. Together a complex polyphonic organism emerges; the voices from the string quartet are rarely placed in a hierarchy in relation to one another or in relation to the snare drums.”

It’s even more breathtaking than it sounds…

Once More, With Feeling! offers a rare second listen – on the same night – to an unfamiliar work, giving concertgoers the chance to deepen their appreciation and enjoyment of the music. On-stage conversation with the composer illuminates the subtleties of and inspirations for the music, and audience members are able to ask questions in the moment – making any worries or preconceptions about “not getting it” disappear.

spektralquartet.com