A Far Cry Concert: The Shape of Joy

The uninhibited joy of young Mozart’s first viola quintet, with its flamboyant virtuosity and total lack of pretense, inspired this happy program. The piece, as written by the 17-year-old Mozart, is so forthright that it perfectly evokes the honesty of youth. The two opening duos reflect different aspects of joy. The first, Breathing Sunlight by Akshaya Tucker, is reflective and musically free, stirring memories of lying in the sunlit grass with the composer’s grandfather. Limestone & Felt by Caroline Shaw is felt viscerally and gives us a sense of place, bringing to mind sounds that collide and echo, flying around a stone chapel, or that gently bounce off of soft material. This sound world is contrasted with delicately spaced,  reverent chords that conjure the ancient time, inviting us to simultaneously reside in the past of our imagination and embody the present of our physical senses.

Musical Program:
Akshaya Avril Tucker | Breathing Sunlight
Caroline Shaw | Limestone & Felt
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | String Quintet No. 1 in B-flat major, K. 174