Inauguration Quartet

The Inauguration Quartet

From soft sounds to tumultuous joy, the music began with the quiet Coplanesque strains of John Williams’ “Air and Simple Gifts.” The vibrant cello of Yo Yo Ma and the sweet strings of Itzhak Perlman’s violin found full voice and intertwined; they were joined by a quiet, sonorous woodwind phrase that repeated and built from the clarinet of Anthony McGill. The three instruments were joined in joyous harmony by the piano of Gabriela Montero. Just as Copland’s music captured the nation’s character and geographical expanse, Williams’ music brought this historical heritage to the present. The unifying emotion of his composition was captured by this enthusiastic quartet playing as a complete ensemble, listening and responding to each other with admiration.

After all of the discussion about the brutal weather and the delicate wooden instruments and how the performers would deal with the elements, it appears as though the violin, cello, and clarinet were wooden and not carbon or rubber. The musicians brought all their best stuff, from musicality to instruments.

Williams’ and the inaugural quartet presented a musical gem to emphasize the speech of Barack Obama as he became President of the United States of America.

Here is an imperfect video.