Groupmuse: Aloha, Beethoven – A Hawaiian Livestream Massivemuse
Free ($10+ donation, RSVP required)
Eric Silberger, violin
Mann-Wen Lo, violin
Duane Padilla, viola
Joshua Akira Nakazawa, cello
Lili’uokalani – Ku’u Pua I Paoakalani ("My Flower in Paoakalani")
Lili’uokalani – Ke Aloha O Ka Haku (Lili’uokalani‘s Prayer)
Lili’uokalani and Mekia Kealaka’i – Nohea I Mu’olaulani
Johann Sebastian Bach – Prelude from Cello Suite No. 3 in C major, BWV 1009
Johann Sebastian Bach – "IV. Allegro assai" from Violin Sonata in C major, BWV 1005
Ludwig van Beethoven – String Quartet No. 4 in C minor, Op. 18, No. 4
Out in the farthest and most remote reaches of the Pacific Ocean, there’s an unimaginably vast volcanic mountain range that's mostly underwater. The peaks - which we collectively know as Hawaiʻi - that emerge from the Great Blue, standing in the most profound isolation, a distance that makes microns out of six feet, have given our whole world the gift of Aloha. It’s a message of salutation, affection, peace, compassion and mercy - but more fundamentally, it’s a notion that seeks to define the force of love that holds together existence. Oh how greatly we need Aloha in these times.
And, as Providence might have it, quarantined in this most isolated of places, there is a string quartet of four of the rising generation's finest string players cooped up together with nothing but their instruments, a recording studio, and thousands of dollars' worth of A/V equipment. And so this Saturday, naturally, we Massivemuse.
With Tchaikovsky-prize winning violinist Eric Silberger on first violin, the quartet is ready with a profound statement of love from thousands of miles away. See, it turns out that the last monarch of Hawaiʻi – Queen Liliʻuokalani – poured forth with a deluge of song from her imprisonment following the imperialist coup that forced her from power, and this string quartet has worked doggedly to honor her spirit by arranging her music for string quartet*. And so, the first half of the program is a selection of those gems from this ocean oasis, coupled with a few movements of solo Bach because: Bach.
Then, for the second half, the quartet will be delivering the goods: a full Beethoven string quartet – his Op. 18, No. 44. We weren’t messing around when we said we were intent on celebrating this towering Genius in his 250th year, even if every concert hall in the world has fallen dark and silent.
Like all live-stream Massivemuses, we’ll start with a Zoom hang, and then head to a high-quality livestream, and then come back to Zoom for a Q&A conversation with the artists.
*Read more about the group's incredible work here.
The livestream will take place at 7:30pm Eastern / 4:30pm Pacific.
RSVP for details/livestream link.
$10+ minimum payment to musicians, $3 reservation fee.
Note: Livestream concerts are subject to change without notice. If livestream doesn't take place, we hope you'll visit the performers' website to explore their recorded performances, or discover another group to listen to online!