FREE CHAMBER MUSIC QUARTET CONCERT

WHAT: The Red Bank Chamber Music Society proudly welcomes the Ulysses String Quartet as they return to perform an emotionally resonant concert featuring composers whose music re-imagine the traditions of the past, especially those of Hungarian and Slavic folk music . This concert will take place on Sunday, May 4, 2025, at 4:30 PM at the Trinity Church Auditorium in Red Bank, NJ.

The concert is free of charge, thanks to the generous donations of our membership and no tickets are required.

Opening the program is Dmitri Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 1 in C major, Op. 49, a youthful and spirited work filled with folk-inspired melodies and an undercurrent of emotional complexity that hints at the composer’s future brilliance.

Next, the quartet performs Max Richter’s haunting On The Nature of Daylight, arranged by violinist Christina Bouey. This contemporary classic, used frequency in cinematic soundtracks, blends layered harmony with raw emotion, offering a moment of introspective stillness and lyrical beauty.

The first half of the concert ends with two short pieces by Stephan Koncz — a re-imaging of Erik Satie’s beloved Gymnopédie No. 1, punningly entitled A New Satiesfaction, and a rollicking theme and variations on the famous Australian bush ballad Waltzing Matilda.

After the intermission is Béla Bartók’s String Quartet No. 5, a bold and intricate masterwork that showcases Bartók’s genius for fusing traditional Hungarian folk motifs with avant-garde compositional techniques. The work is both cerebral and visceral, capturing the essence of an evolving national voice.

Rounding out the program is La Marche des Scythes by Royer, in a vibrant arrangement by Bouey. Originally written for harpsichord, this fiery baroque dance bursts with dramatic flair and rhythmic drive—an unexpected and energetic evocation of ancient Scythian warriors galloping across the Russian steppes.