>> David Plylar: Good
evening, everybody.
We're so pleased
to have you here.
And I'm up here with the
members of the Arod Quartet.
Who are going to be giving
us a real treat evening.
We were able to, forgive me,
I'm a little bit out of breath.
But we were able to get a
bit of a foretaste of what's
to come tonight when they tried
out our Stradivari
instruments this afternoon.
So we'll talk a bit about that.
And we'll talk about
the program.
And what they're up to.
Which is what we usually do.
But first, if you could
join me in welcoming them.
[ Applause ]
Just because, this is your
second tour to the U.S?
>> Samy Rachid: Yes.
Good afternoon.
[ Multiple Speakers ]
>> David Plylar: Maybe
you could say a little bit
about your origins.
And origin of your name.
Things like that.
>> Samy Rachid: So we are
a French string quartet,
as you can hear in my accent.
And, as you said, we are still
discovering your country.
And we went here one time
already when, in last March.
And we played in New York.
We played in Canada.
But it's, you know,
the same continent.
And, but this one is really
our first full American tour.
We went to Alabama.
We went to Oklahoma.
We were in Chicago yesterday.
Today Washington.
And tomorrow we are
leaving for California.
So we are quite still jet lag.
And, yes, everything
is so different.
And so, yeah, we are very amazed
by how American people
are very open
and very welcoming
from foreign people.
And it's very exhausted,
but a real joy for us
to discover this country.
>> David Plylar: Well,
when we were first learning
about your quartet, we didn't
know how to pronounce the name.
So a colleague of mine kept
saying the A-Rod Quartet.
And so we thought, we tried to
get the J-Lo Quartet to come
and join with, make it octet.
But we couldn't do it.
But now we know it's
the, that was, anybody.
But we're pleased about
the, just to have you here.
And maybe you could just
say a little bit about where
that name comes from, the Arod.
>> Jordan Victoria:
Actually we know
that A-Rod it's a baseball
player in America, no?
But it's not our name.
It's just about a book
name "Lord of the Rings"
from Tolkien, maybe you know it.
And inside there's a horse,
and it's the horse of the hero.
And we just liked the name.
And the symbol of the
companion of the story.
That's was it.
>> David Plylar: Sure, sure.
Well, let's dive
into this program.
Because it's quite
a meaty program.
And I know that it
has some similarities
to your second CD release.
Which was called "Mathilde."
And featured works by Webern.
And Schoenberg.
And Zemlinsky.
Tonight we don't
have the Schoenberg
because we don't have
a soprano to sing.
I offered, they but
didn't take it.
But you've got this kind of
really compelling program.
And maybe we could start
just at the beginning go
through it just a little bit
about what attracts
you to these pieces.
Maybe starting with
the Schubert.
Because it's an unusual choice.
We don't get to hear the
fourth string quartet
of Schubert that often.
>> Samy Rachid: Yes, and
it's a pity I have to say.
Because all the 11th
earlier string quartet
by Schubert are just amazing.
They are really in the folk
culture of the Austrian style.
You can almost think
sometime you're
between the early Beethoven
and the late Mozart.
So it's really tricky sometime
to really know where we are.
But we are with Schubert
actually.
Because it's, yeah,
it's so typical.
And you can already hear all
the things that will happen
after we've, the
famous quartets.
"Rosamunde."
"Death and the Maiden."
Everything that make
Schubert his style,
you have already everything
in the earlier pieces.
So this particular fourth
quartet, he compose it
when he was 16 years old.
And the beginning is
[inaudible], very dark.
Very, yeah, it's
impossible to think you're
with the Schubert quartet.
And suddenly everything
is here sparkling
and very light, very bright.
So I think you will have
as much fun as we had
when we heard the piece
for the first time.
Because it's a real
discovery for us.
But this quartet, we
decided to present it.
Because we are in
the Schubert program.
We are preparing our third
album, which will be for,
dedicated to Schubert.
And we wanted absolutely
to have something fresh.
Something that people
don't know.
And this quartet, we played
all his quartet, to switch one.
We wanted to have in the album.
And, yes, we were, we all agreed
that this one is
something more I think.
>> David Plylar: What else
are you preparing it with?
>> Samy Rachid: "Death and the
Maiden" and "Quartettsatz."
>> David Plylar:
There's, it's kind of,
I mean I know it's
not the same at all.
But there isn't, it's
reminiscent of K.465, the other,
the Mozart C major quartet
at the beginning of that.
>> Samy Rachid: Yes.
>> David Plylar: Opening.
It's very.
>> Samy Rachid: Yeah.
>> David Plylar: Yeah, but
it's very striking I think.
And so I think you'll
be in for a treat
if you don't know the piece.
And if you do know the piece,
you know that you're
in for a treat.
So moving onto the Webern.
Maybe you can say a bit about
just what attracted you to this.
And also maybe related to
your album that you produced.
>> Samy Rachid: Yeah
the Webern is,
do you know the piece,
Langsamer Satz?
Yes? No? Some no.
Some no. Most yes.
So it's mixed.
So for those who don't know
this piece because we've,
as string player, we
knew the piece very well.
It's like a basic
of the repertoire.
But when we played it,
we realized that a lot
of people don't know this piece.
And it's just amazing because we
are still in the romantic area.
We are not yet in the modern
way that Webern will compose.
And it's a real love story.
Because he composed
it when he was falling
in love, his future wife.
And it was, it makes sense for
us to add it in our new album.
Because it's, as you said, it's
dedicated to Mathilde Zemlinsky.
And Webern was the one who
convinced Mathilde to come back
in Schoenberg life
after she left him.
So the fact that
Webern convinced her,
and he composed this piece
when he was falling in love
of his wife make total sense
for us to add it in the program.
Because Zemlinsky's
second string quartet
that will also hear
tonight is composed 11 years
after Schoenberg string quartet.
And he's talking
about all the story.
And he's forgiving Schoenberg
of all the bad thing
he did to his sisters.
So, yes, all this
program is based
around the Vienna
School, of course.
Schubert, Webern and Zemlinsky.
And also with this figure
of this fantastic woman
who was Mathilde Zemlinsky.
>> David Plylar: Just for
a little bit of context.
The second string quartet,
that's also on their disc,
was dedicated by Schoenberg to
his wife at the time, Mathilde.
So there was kind of
a nice programmatic
connection throughout.
One other thing should
I add is that we do have
on display the library's, I
think we have all of them.
But maybe just two of the three
of Webern's string quartets
that we have in the
manuscript with the library.
The other 1905 quartet.
Rondo. And the opus 28
quartet, which is kind
of his last chamber work
that was commissioned
by Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge.
You're going to love this
piece if you don't know it.
So I think you'll hear
elements of "Verklarte Nacht."
I think you can hear that
as it's still, I mean,
it's only six years after
"Verklarte Nacht" was written.
And so being under the tutelage
of Schoenberg at the time,
you can see where
that might come in.
But I'm also just
extremely pleased
that you're performing
the Zemlinsky.
Because I've just always thought
this piece was a great piece
that nobody plays.
And so now you're starting
to see a few more
people playing it.
But maybe you can talk
about what drew you to it?
And how you handle
such a massive work?
>> Samy Rachid: Yes.
This piece is, we
discovered it actually
when we were preparing
competitions.
And at the beginning it
was impossible for us
to understand a thing
about this piece.
It was too messy.
Too many notes for everyone.
And, like, yeah,
it was just crazy.
And when we really
took the time to try
to understand the
language of Zemlinsky,
we realized it was
only romanticism.
Only gesture.
Only breath.
And it's a piece unbelievable.
It's an unbelievable piece.
And it's very long.
It's, you can maybe compare it
to smaller movements
on his symphonies.
It's like 45 minutes
in one movement.
So it's quite long
for us as player.
But what was the
question, sorry?
>> David Plylar: What drew
you to it in the first place?
How did you discover it?
>> Samy Rachid: Oh, yes.
As I said, it was for a contest.
And we discover afterwards
all the story I already
talked about.
The related thing with Mathilde
and Schoenberg and Webern.
But, yes, I think
most of the quartets,
first of all, don't
know the piece.
We discovered it by chance.
I think if we didn't
do this contest,
we probably never heard of it.
And the second thing is
because it's a very long piece,
very challenging
for the players.
It's a big, big, big work to
have to do to achieve something
in this piece I think.
And when we talked with quartets
who play this piece we
were all agree about it.
It's, yeah.
But it's a thing I think
that all quartets should do.
Because you learn so
much about your group.
About technical thing
in the group.
And I think there is a
before and after this piece.
It's maybe like some very
big piece of the repertoire
like [inaudible] or some
bit of late string quartets.
You, after you play this piece,
you're not the same
quartet I think.
>> Jordan Victoria: I have to
add that, the story is we had
to choose one quartet in the
list for the competition.
And one friend who was
in [inaudible] told me
that you have to play
this piece, Zemlinsky.
And we said okay.
We see. And when we
practice just one week.
After one week it
was so difficult.
I called him, I said, why
the hell you said that?
And after we just fell
in love with this piece.
>> David Plylar: Well,
so you know that we do,
the library also has this
holograph manuscript.
And we've got it on
display out there.
So you can check it out as well.
We have a lot of the Second
Viennese School works held
at the library.
Especially quartet works.
So that's something that you
can also come to the library
and check out on your own if
you're interested in this music.
I thought, you know, another
thing that would be nice
to talk about, just
given your background
and how you got started,
is Mendelssohn.
And in particular how that
he seems to be a composer
around whom you really kind
of grew with over the years.
Maybe you can say
a bit about that.
Because I know that
your first album was a
Mendelssohn [inaudible].
>> Samy Rachid: Hello again.
Yes, as you said, we, one of
the first pieces we practiced
as a quartet was Mendelssohn
second string quartet.
And we played it
in many contests.
I'm talking a lot about contests
because for string
quartets there is,
contests are maybe the first
thing you are in contact.
Because it's so, when you
begin as a string quartet,
you already had many years
practicing your instrument.
And suddenly you have to
learn a new instrument,
which is a quartet.
So all the string, the
young string quartets are,
have a lot of time in contests.
So we did this piece
a lot in competitions.
And it was completely in
our [inaudible] we thought.
And it was no discussion for
us that we have to record
for our first album
the Mendelssohn album.
So we played this
second string quartet.
And we wanted to also to
add a piece that he composed
when he was in his middle age.
Which is second quartet opus 44.
Which is very passionate.
Very dramatic.
And we discovered he composed
it when he was in honeymoon.
So we were very surprised
of it because it's so dark.
So, yeah, everything is bad.
But he was in his honeymoon.
So that was quite
surprising, yeah.
And we also add, and we
are quite proud of it
because the four
pieces of opus 81,
which are really not oftenly
played and even not record.
There is few recording
which are very great.
So we decided to add it.
And the funny thing
with these pieces are
that we're composing
different period of his life.
They we're not supposed
to be published.
But after his death, his
editors decided to regroup them
and to publish them as opus.
So he never thought these
four pieces as a real quartet.
But we thought it was a nice
thing to add them in this album.
>> David Plylar: That was
something I definitely
appreciated about it.
Because it was, you don't see
those recorded that often.
[ Multiple Speakers ]
>> Samy Rachid: Yes.
>> David Plylar: And
so it's really nice to,
plus you added a transcription,
I think, at the end of a song.
>> Samy Rachid: Yes, we add also
because the second
string quartet is inspired
by a lead he composed
even earlier.
He was 13 when he composed
his second string quartet.
But even earlier he
composed this lead.
And we thought it was a
nice thing to end the album
with a transcription
with, of this lead, yeah.
>> David Plylar: Do you find
yourself, I know that you're,
right now you're doing the
program that you're doing.
But do you find yourself
coming back to Mendelssohn?
Or are you looking to move
away from that repertoire?
>> Samy Rachid: Actually we,
the album was released
two years ago.
And we didn't play
Mendelssohn since.
We did the promotion tour.
But we didn't play
Mendelssohn since.
And we are playing it
again in two years now.
Yeah, two years we will
come back to Mendelssohn.
Because we thought we said
already all the thing we can
said when we played it already.
And it was no purpose
for us to push the thing.
So now we think after four
years, it will be a good time
to come again to this composer.
>> David Plylar:
What other types
of music are you
interested in playing next?
And I know you said that you
had a Schubert disc coming.
But what other types of things
are you interested in exploring?
>> Samy Rachid: Yes,
we are, of course,
playing a lot of
Beethoven quartet.
Because it's a big part of the
string quartet [inaudible].
And with the anniversary
this season,
every quartet have
to ply Beethoven.
Because I think maybe for
three years after this one,
no programmers will want to have
some Beethoven on the seasons.
So now is the time.
But, yes, so Beethoven
is, of course,
a big part of our
program every year.
And also modern music.
Because we think that
it's very important
for a young string quartet to
not be focusing only one period.
So we try to add as
much as we can a modern
or a contemporary piece.
We had the chance to,
commissioned a piece
two years ago.
>> David Plylar: Who
did you commission?
>> Samy Rachid: With
young French composer.
Which name is Benjamin Attahir.
And it was his first
string quartet
and our first commissioned
piece.
So it was really interesting for
us to see how we will all react
to the work we were
doing together.
So it was quite an
experience for us.
And I think we will do it again.
>> David Plylar: I know
you also do some, I guess,
it's weird to say this.
But more classic
20th century things
by like Kurtag and Ligeti.
>> Samy Rachid: Yes.
>> David Plylar: But do you
explore that, plan to explore
that repertoire as well?
>> Samy Rachid: Yes, of course.
We are planning the Kurtag,
especially this season.
We will play the [inaudible].
But, yes, as I said, the
modern repertoire is a big base
of the repertoire.
Because you have,
as you said, Ligeti.
Bartok [inaudible] for
the French repertoire.
So we have all these pieces
which are really
important for the players.
Because it, you have
to go somewhere else
with these pieces.
And they are more
common than they were
when they were composed.
So now they're basically,
basic repertoire
for the string quartet.
Everyone is playing Bartok.
And no one is shocked
because it's too modern now.
So, of course, you have
to play this music.
And it's fantastic music.
>> David Plylar: Yeah, I forgot
to mention to you earlier
that we have [inaudible] here.
>> Samy Rachid: Oh, really.
>> David Plylar: Yeah,
that was a commission,
library commission.
>> Samy Rachid: Great.
>> David Plylar: And then
also Bartok five was a
library commission.
So we have that manuscript
as well.
You know, one thing I
think would be interesting
to get your feedback on.
I know that you had an
interesting experience.
You have your own
wonderful instruments
that you'll hear tonight.
But maybe you could say
a few words about trying
out the library's Stradivari
and other instruments today
[inaudible] experience.
>> Jordan Victoria:
First, we are lucky
because we [inaudible]
there were five violins.
And only two viola
and one cello.
So we are five times
enjoying the violins.
And it was four Stradivari.
And one del Gesu.
And one Amati.
So very famous violinist.
And amazing violins.
We try it, and I felt
in love in one violin.
And, yeah, he try it also.
And we switch.
Sometime we got,
because for the quartet,
we have to have the
really good balance.
We can't have like powerful
violin and for me soft violin.
It has to be like well balanced.
So, yeah. It was
really, really great
and such amazing
chance to [inaudible].
>> David Plylar: We're so
pleased that they were able
to come in and do that.
We want to get them
performed on more.
And so it's nice to,
but one of the issues is
that quartets have
tight schedules.
They don't have much time
to spend with instruments.
So even if they're not performed
on, it's still nice to get
to have you come in
take a look at them.
>> Tanguy Parisot: Yes.
And I try two viola.
But there is only 12
Stradivarius, you know.
And it's a very, very wow
to play this instrument.
And I think one of
this viola is one
of the best viola in the world.
It's amazing and.
>> David Plylar: And that would
be the Tuscan-Medici viola.
Yeah.
[ Inaudible Question ]
There's 12 Stradivari
violas extant.
Around 12, yeah, in the world.
And so, and we have two of them
here at the library right now.
And so he was able to
try two of them today.
One is here.
And one is in the
other building.
And we'll take questions
in just a moment.
But so, for sure, and we'll, and
if, actually, when we do that,
if you can wait for
a microphone.
That way we capture and hear it.
But I just, just to
finish up for now,
and then we will
take some questions.
Is there anything else
that you'd like to say
about things coming up?
Do you have more
tours happening?
Are you going to
get to take a break?
>> Samy Rachid: Yes,
we are coming three time
every season in America.
So we will be back in
March and in the summer.
And we already have plans
for every seasons in America.
So we are really happy
to have this warm welcome
because it's getting long.
>> David Plylar: Well, great.
Let's go ahead and take, I know
there's a question up here.
Maybe we can, we'll
just get a microphone.
>> Talking about
the instruments,
I noticed there's a
Guarneri in there.
Did you have an opportunity
to try that?
And your feelings about that?
You were talking about an
instrument that was strong.
>> Jordan Victoria: Yeah.
Actually, it's so different.
Every instrument all different.
Sometimes, you know, everybody
knows Stradivari, for example.
But sometimes you're surprised
that there are not
good violin sometimes.
For example, once I tried
a violin, violin maker,
he was like, you know,
proud of himself.
He said just try this violin.
Said, what the hell
is this violin?
It's a Stradivari.
Oh, sorry.
So, yeah, it's, first,
it's just a name.
But this is, of course,
exhibitionaries [phonetic].
It's five Stradivaris.
Very, very good Stradivaris.
And, sorry, what's
your question again?
Yeah, the Guarneri.
>> Yes.
>> Jordan Victoria:
Guarneri, yeah.
It's also different.
Every, but it was all nice.
I mean, all the instrument
was really, really nice.
[ Inaudible Question ]
That's a question.
Because I think Stradivari
is more refined.
And Gesu is more strong,
powerful instrument.
But, yeah, deeper sounds.
And we said like grizzly sounds.
I don't know what
to say, the animal.
Grizzly, yeah?
Grizzly sound.
>> David Plylar: You know,
I think that also different
violinist react differently
to each one.
So I remember you
were more responsive
to the Ward, I think,
was the one.
And that was unusual.
Because often people respond to
the Betts or to the Kreisler.
Alex, you seemed to like
the Kreisler it seemed.
>> Alexandre Vu: Actually,
for a second violin.
So I, my favorite this
morning was the Amati.
Because for my part
with quartet,
as the second violin,
it's really dark.
And it's really match
with the [inaudible].
So, yeah, my favorite
was the Amati.
But for sure the
[inaudible] really amazing.
Which was, and we try maybe
once, the two violins in London.
The Stradivari violins.
But it's really amazing
this morning because we had
for the first time, the
all sets for the quartet.
All the Stradivari, so, yeah.
So it was something.
>> David Plylar: The
response is always Stradivari.
So, are there any
other questions?
>> This is to the
first violinist
or actually either
of the violinist.
The last note of the
Zemlinsky, that D, the absolute,
the last note of the Zemlinsky.
>> Samy Rachid: Yes.
>> The high D.
>> Samy Rachid: Yes.
>> Would you rather not
see notes like that?
>> Samy Rachid: Me?
>> Yeah.
>> Samy Rachid: I'm the cellist.
It's really rare to have this
type of notes in my part.
>> Jordan Victoria:
I play it, yeah.
I have to count.
>> Is that okay with
you, that register?
>> Jordan Victoria:
I think it's fine.
You will see it tonight.
>> How much higher could it go?
>> Jordan Victoria: Not so high.
It's fine.
>> What's that?
>> Jordan Victoria:
You can hear it.
It's not like [inaudible].
>> Samy Rachid: It's not
like a laser sound, you know,
like something you
can't really hear.
Because it's so high.
It's still nice to the ear.
>> David Plylar:
Any other questions?
>> I'm sure this will
be in the program notes.
But I'm just curious.
How did you four
discover each other
and decide to start a quartet?
>> Alexandre Vu: So we all
met each other in Paris.
Because we were in
school together.
So Jordan start a
quartet with all people.
And then, when he decide
to do this really seriously
for string quartet,
so we can just later,
few months later
with Samy and I.
And then we did competition.
And Tanguy join us one year ago.
>> Samy Rachid: But
maybe a particular thing
about our group is most of the
time string quartets are made
by people who are
friends at school
and decided to play together.
And then they have
some concerts.
No one knew each other.
I don't know these people.
But some friends introduced us.
And the quartet really began
directly by really working
as professional in a way.
Because it was, only worked
that we were not really friends.
Because we don't
know each other.
And by playing together and
spending more time together,
we are more than a family now.
But, yeah, we didn't
know each other.
And one of former viola stopped
playing viola because he wanted
to be a film music composer.
Someone suggested us Tanguy.
Which we didn't know
at all also.
So, yeah, we are in this
process by not know each other.
But, yeah, now I think
we have a good set.
>> David Plylar: There
any other questions?
>> Americans so rarely are
fluent in multiple languages.
But it's clear that, as you, as
your quartet travels the globe,
you have to apply every
language that you know.
How do you manage?
>> Samy Rachid: As you can hear,
our English is still very bad.
But, yes, it's a good thing
that now almost everyone
is speaking English
around the world.
So we just have to
improve our English.
And I think it will
be already nice
to have a good proper English.
But Jordan is learning German.
And it's very useful.
Because a lot of, yes, but
a lot of things are written
in German in the score.
Especially in the Vienna School.
They are not writing in Italian
like it was normal to do.
Everything is in German
with very long sentences.
So you have, you
need to have someone
who speak a bit of German.
>> Jordan Victoria:
Sometime this is tricky
because it's written a sentence.
And when you translate,
it's, for example,
you have to play,
you have to hesitate.
But what does it mean?
And, in fact, we ask
a German teacher.
And he said, no,
it's ritardando.
Slow, slow motion, slow motion.
So it's, yeah, it's really
difficult, the German language.
>> Samy Rachid: German
people, yeah.
>> I have two questions.
Does this reference to German,
dynamic markings in song.
Does this mean that you
are performing the other,
the Second Viennese School
quartets, in general,
Schoenberg, Verbier and Webern?
Not just the early have
Webern we're hearing tonight?
And also, do you ever do
concerts or record with,
say a pianist and
piano quintets?
>> Samy Rachid: Actually, for
Webern there is only the string,
the first string quartet
that we didn't play.
We began playing Schoenberg by
playing the other repertoire.
The [inaudible] Satz
and the Bagatelle.
So we, yes, we are
playing, of course, all,
not only the Langsamer Satz,
which is more romantic in a way.
And what was the second part?
>> Do you ever give
concerts or record
with pianists to
do piano quintets?
>> Samy Rachid: Yes, of course.
Every season we are doing treble
music with other instruments.
It's very important to,
for us to have some fresh
blood in the ensemble.
And to try other things.
So, yes, we didn't play in
America yet as a quintet.
But maybe soon.
We hope so.
>> David Plylar: You do clarinet
repertoire as well; correct.
>> Samy Rachid: Yes, we played
a lot with clarinet, yeah.
>> Following up upon that.
How often do you
play with a soprano?
Have you performed with sopranos
singing French poetry as well
as the German poetry underlying
the Schoenberg second?
>> Samy Rachid: Unfortunately,
yeah,
but unfortunately the
repertoire for soprano
and the string quartet, as you
can imagine, is not really big.
We, you have the Chanson
Perpetuelle by Chausson.
But you have also a piano in it.
And you have this Schoenberg
second string quartet.
And I think that's it
for the original pieces.
Maybe some pieces we don't know.
We know there is a version by
Berg of the lyrics with singer.
But it's not the version
most oftenly play.
I think the Emerson
Quartet recorded it
with [inaudible] a few years
ago, if my memory is good.
But, yes, unfortunately, the
repertoire is not very good.
But, yeah.
[ Inaudible Question ]
[inaudible], no, we're
not aware of this piece.
Maybe it's a transcription.
Because there is a lot of
transcription, of course.
But for the original
pieces, there is not.
But, for example, as you said,
in our Mendelssohn album we
did ourself a transcription
of a lead for soprano
and quartet.
>> David Plylar:
All right, well,
I think we can just, excuse me.
Let's just thank our
quartet for being with us.
And we'll just wish
them a great show.
I know we're going to
really enjoy it, I know.
So, thank you.
>> Samy Rachid: Thank you.
>> Alexandre Vu: Thank you.
[ Applause ]