Music by masters

The Portland String Quartet presented a half-hour concert Jan. 10 at the First Parish Unitarian Church on Congress Street, Portland, playing movements of quartets of Haydn, Beethoven and Chadwick. We wish it could have been a longer concert, for there were many eager music lovers in attendance, a larger crowd than usual at these excellent free programs.

I closed my eyes from time to time, just to enjoy the beautiful playing of the four string players. Of course, we knew about the first two composers, (Franz) Joseph Haydn, 1732-1809, and Ludwig Van Beethoven, 1770-1827. Haydn was the Austrian and Beethoven the German, but Chadwick was a composer I had to check out. I got the following information from Wikipedia:

George Whitefield Chadwick (1854-1931) was born in Lowell, Mass. He received some early musical training from organ lessons given by his older brother, Fitz Henry. He entered New England Conservatory as a “special student” in 1872, where he could study with the faculty without satisfying the rigorous entrance or degree requirements.

In 1876 he accepted a faculty position in the music program at Olivet College. His interest in composing appeared during this time. He then realized that his musical career would be limited without further studies in Europe, and he headed to Germany and studied in Leipzig at the Royal Conservatory of Music, and also studied at the Hochschule fur Musik in Munich, with Josef Rheinberger, a skilled musical craftsman.

Chadwick returned to Boston in 1880 and began establishing a career in the U.S. Along with Horatio Parker and Edward MacDowell, he was a representative composer of what can be called the New England School of American composers of the late 19th century. Many consider his music to portray a distinctively American style.

In the half-hour program, we heard Haydn’s “Allegro” from his String Quartet in C Major, Beethoven’s “Molto Adagio” from his String Quartet in E Minor and Chadwick’s “Finale, Allegro molto risoluto” from his String Quartet No. 4 in E Major.

The Portland String Quartet has been performing, teaching and recording with its founding members since 1969. This is its 39th concert season, 2007-2008, and represents a record in the chamber music profession.

New home

The Portland Conservatory of Music, which sponsors the Thursday noon half-hour concerts with the First Parish Unitarian Church, has just moved to new headquarters, on the third floor of the Woodfords Congregational Church on Woodford Street, Portland.

We visited there at a Jan. 12 open house. We listened with interest to the Cello Orchestra, which was practicing in the hall there, before a performance that evening. I’ve very fond of string instruments, and although I played the violin for many years, the cello is my favorite. Its deep tone is a pleasure to hear.

The director greeted me and led me down the corridor, with several single rooms on each side. I saw at least three grand pianos, each in a separate room, where pupils can practice.

The conservatory offers many interesting courses and programs, including children’s music programs; rock, jazz and blues ensembles; choral skills; beginning, intermediate and advanced strings; fiddling; and folk music. Many instruments are taught, including piano, flute, bassoon, oboe, clarinet, horn, trumpet, trombone, harp, violin, viola, cello, bass, guitar, organ and harp.

It will be nice to have such a large parking lot for these functions. The DaPonte String Quarter will play in the church sanctuary at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.

Spectacular win

Many of us stayed up late to watch the Patriots’ big game with the Jacksonville, Fla., Jaguars at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Saturday, but we didn’t mind at all losing a little sleep. It was exciting and at times worrisome, as the Jaguars won the first 7 points, and the score was tied at 14-14 at the half.

But from then, on the Patriots kept up their superior plays. Tom Brady’s 26 completed passes, three of them touchdown passes, two of them to right end Ben Watson, were remarkable.

And Laurence Maroney, the back who ran 122 yards, was spectacular, carrying mounds of men with him at times, at others breaking free and showing great skill and speed as a runner. So we congratulate Coach Bill Belichick again for this great win, as well as all the teammates who persevered.

Munch on these

Today’s recipe is from Portland High School Scholarship Cookbook. (No date, probably early 1970s)

PECAN CRUNCH COOKIES

1 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup crushed potato chips

1/2 cup chopped pecans

2 cups all-purpose flour

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Add crushed potato chips and pecans, Stir into flour. Form into balls, using about 1 tablespoon of dough each. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press with tumbler. Bake at 350 degrees for 16-18 minutes. Makes 3-1/2 dozen.

Ramblings