The Carpe Diem String Quartet presents “Interconnected” in Review
Carpe Diem String Quartet
Sam Weiser, Violin; Marisa Ishikawa, Violin
Korine Fujiwara, Viola; Ariana Nelson, Cello
Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
February 27, 2025
The aptly named Carpe Diem String Quartet took the stage of Weill Hall at Carnegie this week to greet their excited audience, and they exuded just the kind of immediacy and energy that will draw new audiences to classical music – particularly to “new” music. Their program, all music of the 20th and 21st centuries, including a New York premiere and two world premieres, was brilliantly curated, but more importantly their playing itself communicated worlds of emotion – with a healthy measure of pure fun. They already have ardent followers and 20-year performing history (though interrupted by Covid and other events), plus a commissioning project honoring their 15th year in 2020 (called “15 for 15”); still, however, they represent a “discovery” for this listener. It is a thrill to share that discovery, because anyone thinking of hearing or hiring them is destined to be grateful. You’re welcome.
To avoid rehashing lengthy biographies, our readers can visit their website (Carpe Diem String Quartet), but suffice it to say that all members of the quartet – violinists Sam Weiser and Marisa Ishikawa, violist Korine Fujiwara, and cellist Ariana Nelson – have fine credentials individually; what makes the group so special is their connectedness and shared musical passion. The title for their recital – “Interconnected” – was more than just a convenient catchall, but rather a message one could feel through all the music they played by composers Lomax, Kaminsky, Fujiwara, Satoh, and finally Prokofiev.
The charismatic Dr. Mark Lomax II, composer of the opening work Ubuntu (2023), was the first to come onstage, to introduce both the concert and his own piece in what was its New York premiere. He explained that, in the languages of Zulu/Xhosa, the “Ubuntu” philosophy is, “I am because you are, and because you are, I am.” He spoke about the need for humanity to connect, and the music itself supported his words with seemingly disjunct, but infectiously energetic, rhythmic motives all interacting to find one another, eventually uniting as the quartet played in harmony and unison (with a nice final touch of F major, like the Prokofiev, which would close the program). It was a sensational start to the program.
Laura Kaminsky, especially renowned for her groundbreaking work in opera, came onstage next to introduce the world premiere of her string quartet, Vanishing Point, commissioned by the Carpe Diem String Quartet. Dedicated to the memory of Chas Wetherbee, first violinist of the Carpe Diem Quartet until he passed away in 2023, it centers on the feelings in the aftermath of loss – as the composer’s notes describe, “swirling emotions of loss, persistence, and hope.” As much as one expected that Ms. Kaminsky’s gift for the vocal and dramatic would shine through in her instrumental writing (and it did), nothing prepared one for the emotional impact of this quartet. Part of it was the dramatic structure. As she writes, “The piece begins with an extended trio, minus the first violin, with the strings starting from nothing and increasing in intensity, until, finally, they ‘find’ and ‘invite’ the first violin to join them, a quartet at last.” That sheer absence of the first violin was enough to crack one’s heart in two, but the plaintive solo cello followed by soulful viola utterances in the first minutes finished the job. One almost couldn’t recover to fully experience the “swirling emotions” that followed, but the fade to the end was perfect as a “vanishing point.” A well-deserved ovation elicited a bow from Ms. Kaminsky and the quartet.
The final work before intermission, the world premiere of Korine Fujiwara’s Mosey could not have been better placed to bring everyone back to smiling. Inspired by the scenes at an airport of people moving in all sorts of individual worlds – with the two very different definitions of the “mosey” pace in play – violist Fujiwara wrote it for her own quartet colleagues, as a sort of musical metaphor for traveling through life. Full of humor (as she is in her comments and program notes), it lives in a language of folksy charm combined with a frenetic edge (bluegrass fiddling meets hints of Raymond Scott’s Powerhouse). All the performers ramped up the energy, complete with dizzy slides and percussion on the body of the cello, and the cumulative effect was dazzling. This is one of those pieces that all quartets will want to play – in the same way that Jessie Montgomery’s Strum has taken hold. Once again now, to any quartet players reading this: you’re welcome.
After intermission we heard Toward the Night, by Somei Satoh (b. 1947), known widely for his works using Japanese instruments and electronic music. First violinist Sam Weiser introduced it and spoke of it expressing the Buddhist idea of samsara or transmigration towards the next life. To quote the notes (which seemed to be by the composer, although it wasn’t clear), “after millions of years, the existence of mankind is beginning to sink into the deep dusk.” The music, accordingly, shifts glacially from each gentle dissonance to the next – at times conveying human pathos, at times an atmosphere vaguely ominous, and overall a sense of vast space. The quartet played it with meditative feeling – something that could not have been easy, given what Mr. Weiser had just prior to it remarked about the evening. He had said, “They say that a quartet is like a marriage between four people, and with the number of family and friends here tonight, many meeting for the first time, this really feels like our wedding.” It was a testament to this quartet’s powerful focus and emotional projection that the audience remained in what seemed a hypnotized state for the entire Satoh work.
As Mr. Weiser had also noted, much to the audience’s amusement, the Prokofiev is “not like that at all.” Indeed, Prokofiev’s String Quartet No. 2, Op. 92 (1941). is brimming with energy, and its Kabardinian folk themes and robust rhythms brought us back to the world of purposeful action, within more typically classical form and phrase structure. The quartet lit into it with gusto, and it was good to see that there was none of the myopic obsession with “purity” of tone that can plague string players at the expense of the right rustic feeling. The players at times lit into the piece with the delicacy of shovels and spades – and it was a joy. The audience was rapt throughout and burst into a standing ovation for the performers, joined by those composers present.
As many may know, reviewers are often the first to bolt for the door at a concert’s finish, but your reviewer was actually sad to see this one end – despite its ample length. It was so heartening to hear performers who are not merely “well-trained” but whose mission is to communicate. They created magic to inspire their listeners, and if they keep that up, they will be a much-needed gift to the music world.
I suggest that our readers, whether fellow quartets, music lovers, or presenters, grab any chance you can get to go hear them. And for the third time, you’re welcome.
