Aurora Musicalis String Quartet Presents Good Friday Concert, 4/7

Aurora Musicalis String Quartet will perform Haydn's Seven Last Words of Christ, Op. 51 for String Quartet, accompanied Mark Strand's Poem after the Seven Last Words, at the Church of the Nativity, 8849 Ray Road in Raleigh, at 7:00pm on Good Friday, April 7, 2012.  Part of the church's "Spirituality in the Arts" series, the performance commemorates the events of Good Friday. The string ensemble comprises Ariadna Ilika, violin, and North Carolina Symphony musicians Rebekah Binford, violin, Christine Martin, viola, and Elizabeth Beilman, cello. 

The Seven Last Words of Christ is a work originally written for orchestra by Franz Joseph Haydn in 1785 and revised in 1787 for string quartet. Haydn also composed an oratorio version for soloists, chorus and orchestra a few years later. It was first performed at a Spanish cathedral during the season of Lent. The church setting was dramatic, with darkened windows and doors and a solemn atmosphere. This was a work and theme which held great interest for Haydn and he labored to create a masterpiece. The first violin notes of each adagio movement "speak" the Latin texts in inflection. The Latin text is included in the part. The original format included music alternating with Gospel readings.

"Haydn's work is full of pathos, warmth and drama and I have long wished to play it," Ms. Beilman says. "Aurora Musicalis is a flexible ensemble composed of North Carolina Symphony players and other area professionals and our string quartet was very keen to join me in an exploration of the piece. We were fortunate to find a great space to perform."  More information about the Church of the Nativity's series may be found at this link: http://www.nativityonline.org/sa.html  

Although this great piece can stand on its own, Ms. Beilman had hoped to find a way to incorporate the other arts in the presentation, so she was thrilled to find a cycle of poetry written by Mark Strand.  "These poems were commissioned by the Brentano String Quartet," she says.  "They are absolutely beautiful works of contemplation and serve to amplify the music to an amazing degree."

Poetry readers include Waltye Rasoulala (Choir Director at Nativity), Reverend Stephanie Allen (rector), Deacon David Lynch (formerly organist at Christ Episcopal Church) and other members of the church, including former NCS principal clarinet Jimmy Gilmore. Special lighting will heighten the drama of the presentation.

A preview program will be given at Quail Ridge Books on March 31 at 4:00 P.M. Copies of Strand's poetry collection, Man and Cameland Aurora Musicalis recordings with be available. Members of Aurora Musicalis will be available to sign CDs of their recording,Echoes of America.

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