The Ciompi Quartet

Taking A Moment To Review

Ciompi violist Jonathan Bagg looks back on a stacked spring as the quartet gears up for another exciting season ahead.
The Ciompi had an incredibly ambitious agenda this spring season: among other things, we performed Duttilleux’s Ainsi La Unit, Schoenberg’s Quartet No. 4, Bartok No. 4, a new 5-movement work by Andrew Waggoner (with Pipa!), and a quartet by Wolfgang Fraenkel, German-Jewish composer who escaped to Shanghai before the war. Fascinating programs and wonderful musicians.

It felt like we had been going non-stop and we certainly didn’t pause there! Our final week together in the Spring took us on the road to Germany (Osnabrück), and Austria (Vienna) in a concert sponsored by the Exilarte & the Arnold Schoenberg Centers. It’s Arnold’s 150th this year so we were delighted to dive into his String Quartet No. 4 op 37 from 1936. Our Vienna concert was part of the Schoenberg 150th celebration which is obviously a big honor. We were welcomed with such generosity in both places. Packed houses, great music making and some wonderful meals in between!

Our program for these concerts also included Wolfgang Fraenkel’s Music for String Quartet from 1949. A fascinating piece and an amazing journey of discovery for us which Hsiao-mei is going to tell you more about.

All in all it was a wonderful trip away and a lovely opportunity for us to have some focused time together as a quartet ahead of the summer break when we concentrate on our individual performance projects. Following that break, we are delighted to have returned to campus over the last few weeks and begun the final preparations for the exciting year ahead. We look forward to seeing you at a concert very soon.

Thoughts On Wolfgang Fraenkel

Violinist Hsiao-mei Ku shares some insights on lesser know composer Wolfgang Fraenkel.

Many people are familiar with Schoenberg, but not Fraenkel. I was aware that during the 1930s approximately 18,000 European Jews escaped the holocaust to Shanghai which was one of the only ports the Jewish people could enter without a visa. Like many Jewish musician refugees, Fraenkel played violin in the orchestra and taught music lessons for his livelihood during that period.

What I was surprised to learn, the rest of story, was that from 1939-1947, Fraenkel not only played as a violinist and violist in the Shanghai Municipal Orchestra (now the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra) and worked as a pianist and conductor, he taught both music theory and composition to Chinese musicians as well. Many of the students he taught went on to become important figures and held leading positions in Chinese musical institutions. From that list of names, I can identify former classmates’ parents as well as the names of my teachers from the Beijing Conservatory, where I started my music journey as a child. What a fascinating connection to this incredibly resilient artist.

The Traveling Players, And Their Instruments…

Ciompi violinist Eric Pritchard and cellist Caroline Stinson reflect on some of the realities of flying with their very special instruments. As you will see, traveling life is a little more complicated if you’re a cellist.

What are some of the things you have to consider when navigating international air travel with your instrument?

Eric Pritchard – Violinist
Actually, nothing becomes too complicated. Other than making sure I get to board the plane relatively early in the boarding process so that I’m sure to have space in the overhead compartment for the violin, it is pretty much a normal travel experience.

I do make sure the violin case is humidified because the air in planes can be so dry. Low humidity levels are not at all good for the instrument.

Caroline Stinson – Cellist
Since many airports switched to the super scanners with spinning bins, the cello has to be examined separately at RDU (Raleigh-Durham International Airport). Thankfully, LGA, BOS and many others still have one old-school x-ray, just not our RDU.

I always refer to it as my baby as I hand it over; I show them the flat side and say that if they lay it on the flat side, it won’t fall over. I know that seems silly, but I can’t count the number of times someone has done the opposite. If they don’t make eye contact, I tell the TSA employee that I bought it instead of a house so I am grateful for their care with it. That usually gets my message across.  

Lastly, when they are about to open it, I recommend they face the most latches toward them, I describe where all the latches are (2 on the far side) and offer to help if they need it. I don’t sweat the plastic swab thing. Generally they are gentle and the risk lower than a bow falling on the instrument or being knocked on a music stand.

Displaying nervousness has not been advantageous, but genuinely thanking them in advance has had the greatest success in ensuring everyone is happy, and the cello safe.

What’s your worst travel story with your instrument?

Eric Pritchard – Violinist
Probably the time I drove 2 hours to play a concert and realized that I had neglected to bring the violin! I had to ask the concert presenter to find me an instrument with just an hour to spare. Thankfully… they did!

Caroline Stinson – Cellist
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