ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 พ.ย. 2023
- Tom Huizenga | November 6, 2023
The cameras were rolling long before the Emerson String Quartet played a note behind the Tiny Desk. A documentary film crew followed the band into our lobby and kept rolling tape as the players unpacked their instruments, sat down to warm up and joked ceaselessly among themselves.
The reason for all the fuss was to mark the final days of the nearly 50-year career of one of modern history’s most durable, beloved and prolific chamber ensembles. Just two days after we captured this performance, the band played its final concert together in New York, where it all began in 1976 when a couple Juilliard students thought putting together a string quartet might be a fun idea. Forty-some albums, nine Grammys and countless concerts later, we were honored to document one of the band’s last performances.
Typical for the Emersons, the music they chose was wide-ranging. A dash of Haydn served as a witty amuse-bouche, then on to a mini-movement from late in Beethoven’s career, when the composer could swing his moods with shockingly modern abandon. At the heart of this bittersweet concert is the Emersons’ achingly beautiful performance of George Walker’s Lyric for Strings. The Washington, D.C. native, in 1996, became the first Black composer to win a Pulitzer. The elegiac music poured out of the players in rich, intermingling layers.
But the band couldn’t leave on a somber note, so it closed with a rambunctious interpretation of the finale to Ravel’s string quartet - an appropriately effervescent way to say goodbye.
SET LIST
Haydn: String Quartet, Op 33, No. 5: Scherzo
Beethoven: String Quartet, Op. 130: Presto
Walker: Lyric for Strings
Ravel: String Quartet in F: Finale
MUSICIANS
Eugene Drucker: violin
Philip Setzer: violin
Lawrence Dutton: viola
Paul Watkins: cello
TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Tom Huizenga
Director/Editor: Kara Frame
Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Videographers: Kara Frame, Michael Zamora
Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Audio Assistant: Hannah Gluvna
Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
Photographer: Catie Dull
Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Hazel Cills
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann
#tinydesk #nprmusic #emersonstringquartet - เพลง
Want to play your own Tiny Desk concert? Unsigned musicians, enter the 2024 Tiny Desk Contest between Jan. 23 and Feb. 21. Learn more: npr.org/tinydeskcontest.
Dear Audio engineers: Thanks, the sound is amazing, the instruments are amazing. The players are out of this world: dynamics, colour, dextery, musicality, just wow. Thanks for this!!
Indeed, the acoustics are always first class.
I totally AGREE just superb sound in this concert I am so glad I found it!!!
The sound is very clear and very pure, but as a musician I am used to listening to recordings in which the sound has undergone more extensive reverb treatment, so that it resembles the sound in a concert hall.
Just...yes,queen!
If anyone watching/listening hasn’t heard a string quartet of this caliber live and close up, you are missing out on one of life’s most incredible pleasures. This is a wonderful recording, but to hear them live will give you goosebumps and make you wonder how such musical instruments and compositions were created and played by humans.
Very true. Live music hits different.
I sat in the middle of an old time string band and yes i will never forget it
Very true!
I played in one
Don’t have the words to say just how marvellous NPR Tiny Desk is.The range of music is phenomenal and it’s expanded my horizons hugely. A big “Thank you.“
Wonderfull how wide is this channel thanks… so much..
Thank you to a legendary quartet for so many years of beautiful music and an impressive body of work!
Oh man, the Emerson String Quartet hold such a special place in my heart... when I was in 7th grade I was put in a quartet with three other students from my middle school and we played just the little beginning section to the 2nd movement of Schubert's Death and the Maiden; it was my introduction to chamber music. For practically the entire year, I listened to the Emerson String Quartet's recording of Death and the Maiden every morning during my walk to school on my little Apple iPod with the wired earbuds. I knew that recording and their interpretation of Death and the Maiden like the back of my hand, and I've loved chamber music ever since! :)
The fact that you feature musicians from Kirk Franklin to the Emerson String Quartet is just incredible -- thank you so much Tiny Desk!
I love how NPR is expanding and is having more classical musicians on and plenty of other genres!! Even though there is a slim chance he would do this but they should totally try and get pianist Yunchan Lim (who won the 2022 Cliburn) to do a tiny desk concert! I loved seeing Yo-Yo Ma's tiny desk concert too!!
Definitely also want to see Mikyung Sung on!
I love how these musicians look at each other in an expressive manner, as they play
the magic of chamber music❤
Emerson’s recordings of the Bartok quartets are immensely important to me, wonderful to see they’re as brilliant as ever
Oh yes I've also got that one, double CD on Deutsche Grammophon, thanks for reminding me. Time to find a working CD player! :)
Gorgeous string ensemble - great way to start the week!
So good to have the Emerson String Quartet here at NPR At Tiny Desk. Congrats to ESQ for this performance and for your 50 years of amazing work !!!
Part of why I love watching Tiny Desk is because I get to see plenty of musicians, bands and performers making their art, when I never would have seen them otherwise. Keep up the great work :)
How bold, thank you NPR. I so wish tiny desk suscribers were curious enough to watch this tremendous performance. Ravel is my all-time favorite composer.
I’ve been listening to this quartet on Spotify for sometime, but I’ve never watched a video of them perform. I hope they enjoy their retirement, wish I had seen them. Amazing performers.
Killer performance and such a great taste for choosing their repertoire !
Haydn 0:00
Beethoven 4:23
Walker 9:00
Ravel 17:16
Thank you!
Very moved by the Walker piece. Thank you.
Elegiac indeed. I am brought to tears. I’m grateful to have found this glorious performance today by one of the preeminent string quartets of the last half century as they draw their career to a close. Thanks also for introducing me to the tender and powerful work of George Walker. All my best wishes to these devoted artists as they end one chapter and begin another.
This should have millions of views.
I feel privileged of havig heard them perform the Art of Fugue. An unforgettable ensemble!
Wow, 47 years? What an achievement! This is the first time I’m listening to your quartet and you sound amazing!Also, thank you for sharing the name George Walker. I’m always looking for modern composers and he sounds like someone I would enjoy.
Excellent, excellent, excellent. Thank you for sharing this.
They are incredible; you can see the years of experience in how their bows seem to float over the strings.
So hard to believe this group has retired! Thank you for the memories and timeless recordings!
What a way to start a Monday morning 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
Thank You 🌷
Thank you for playing together and bringing beautiful music to our lives. The George Walker piece brings tears to you eyes. We need more George Walker in our lives.
I'm a huge fan of Tiny Desk and a huge fan of the Emerson Quartet. What a wonderful performance. I think it's brilliant that Tiny Desk is opening to classical music interpreters. Keep them coming!
Super dope!!! Huge congratulations to this quartet, they have given so much to music and the world! Also love the NPR staff who wrote the description - "a dash of Haydn as a witty amuse Bouche" 😂
Legendary! Tiny Desk is a musical treasure trove. Such great, great music across all genres. Love!
Great programming!! BRAVO to this first class string quartet. You look pretty young for 50 years performing. Thank you for your many years and good health to each one of you! Classical music lover❤
ESQ=marvelous musical storytellers. This set list gave us a taste of their range, wit, energy, and compassion. Thank you for this delightful performance. I’m so glad to have been introduced to George Walker’s music.
As someone who was like 7th chair in his 6th grade orchestra, I’m impressed
Bravo.. I have many Emerson SQ recordings.. Wonderful to listen their set in tiny desk setting.
One of my favorite String quartet ! I really wanted to see them playing in paris at foundation Louis Vitton with Barbara Hannigan before their retirement but I couldn’t. So sorry that we can’t hear their music anymore.
I need a whole week of it!
A wonderful quartet. So many brilliant performances.
This is a great work of NPR tiny desk and very proper, elegnt farewell. Thank you dear members of Emerson for all these years🎉
Wonderful! Thank you so much for this
The dynamics are on point! Lovely. ❤
What a wonderful Tiny Desk to wake up to this morning!
I was spellbound the entire performance. Fantastic!
Watched them this spring in Prague on their farewell tour. Legends. They shall be missed!
Thank you for your huge work and music
Amazing! Thank you so much!
So wonderful to see the experts
What a beautiful way to start my day! Thank you!
Thank you!! Beautiful music!!
LOVE this. Thank you 😍
Beautiful work...
MARVELOUS!! Thank you!!!
Love them! This is stellar playing.
This was such a great performance. Thank you!! I especially enjoyed the George Walker piece. It invoked tears I wasnt even sure were there.
Keep on gentlemen!
Amazing performance! Amazing sound by Josh Rogosin and Hannah Gluvna
Amazing performance!! 👏 👏👏👏👏
Thank you!!!!
This is remarkable, thanks a lot!
Been listening to these guys for years
They are simply out of this world fantastic 👏
Great String Quartet, wonderful musicians !
Love this so much 😍
Thanks!
Four marvellous musical conversations. Thank you! And may your individual futures be as bright as your past has been. We will miss you. 💕
I've watched Tiny Desk for years---and have found new artists and enjoyed ones I knew--and such a wide selection. Enjoyed this so much--seems I write that each concert LOL.
Amazing.
Incredible!!!!!!
Magnifique 👍💯🙏 Merci
Thank you for this video - I love Emerson String Quartet. Such beautiful playing.
So beautiful ❤
Oh that third piece was stunning! How beautiful.
So good!!
Delightful!
So happy that we saw/heard you at South Mountain. Always wonderful and peerless!
Thank you.... i loved and enjoyed specially... the third one...
Thank you N.P.R!
Wonderful!!!
Tiny Desk Concert(책방콘서트) 상 받아야 합니다. 쟝르와 국경을 넘은 보석을 찾아다가 정갈하게 전달해 주시다니,,,노고에 감사드려요!!
Class act...very enjoyable
thank you!
Wow! Thank you Emerson Quartet for your years of making wonderful music! Love to see you here on NPR Tiny Desk!
I love the juxtaposition between the music and the cartoonish background
Incredible
Thank you for sharing Walker’s touching and complex execution piece. Beautiful. I will learn more from his music. Congratulations Emerson Quartet. You are great.
Love it
SUPERB.
Bravo! 😃
What legends.
Mind-blowingily awesomee🎉🎉🎉
Bravíssim! Moltes gràcies!
Bravo 👏🏽 😢
Bravo!!!
Well this was awesome
Very nice! APPLAUSE APPLAUSE!
Thank you NPR! Their recording of Bartok's 6 String Quartets is my 'go too'.
They SNAPPED 🎻🥹
Great music, quartet, engineering sound and production.
Yes! amazing
Wonderful
We love the Emerson String Quartet!
Magnifique