String trio to perform at Lyrica Chamber Music virtual concert

Folk music has inspired many classical composers who transformed its beguiling melodies into complex works of genius. But it can be rewarding to return to the simplicity of the original songs, especially when they are conveyed by talented musicians who have a cultural connection to the music.

Violinist Keiko Tokunaga, violist William Frampton and cellist Ani Kalayjian will explore the folk traditions of Armenia and Japan at Lyrica Chamber Music’s March 28 virtual concert, happening at 5 p.m. on YouTube. They will also perform music by Beethoven and contemporary composer Caroline Shaw.

The concert is presented with the support of Morris Arts which seeks to build community through the arts.

Komitas may not be a name familiar to many, but he had an enormous influence on Armenian music. He was a priest, musicologist, composer, arranger and one of the pioneers of ethnomusicology.

“He spent many years collecting thousands of folk songs from all over Armenia, writing down songs sung by Armenian villagers who affectionately called him ‘the note-taking priest,’” said Kalayjian, who is co-artistic director of Lyrica Chamber Music and of Armenian descent.

“These beloved songs have been arranged in many different ways since then. One such example is by Sergei Aslamazian who arranged these folk songs for strings. We will be performing a selection of these charming and moving folk songs, one of which is called Krunk (The Crane), a symbol of longing for one's homeland, an emotional song sung by wanderers that embodies the historical fate of the Armenian people.”

Knowledge of Komitas’ unhappy fate gives these songs an extra degree of poignancy.

“Komitas suffered tremendously during the 1915 Armenian Genocide where he was arrested and imprisoned and later suffered from mental illness & PTSD,” Kalayjian said. He died in a psychiatric hospital in France in 1935.

The Japanese songs that will be played by Tokunaga represent happy memories. She remembers her grandmother singing “Furusato” as she put her to bed when she was a little girl.

“All three of the Japanese songs were written in the beginning of the 20th century; ‘Kojo no Tsuki’ was written in 1901, then ‘Furusato’ in 1914, and lastly, ‘Akatombo’ in 1927,” Tokunaga said. “I created this arrangement when I was getting ready to visit my grandmother, who has been living in an assisted living facility in Japan. I wanted to have a small concert for the residents, and as I was putting the program together, the nurse told me that the residents would love hearing these old songs that they grew up singing. Unfortunately, I have not been able to visit the facility yet because of the pandemic, but I plan on being there as soon as it is safe to do so.

“‘Furusato,’ a song that reflects on one's childhood memory, is something every Japanese child learns in elementary school. The lyrics of ‘Kojo no Tsuki’ remind listeners that even the greatest fame and glory of mankind can only last for a blink of an eye, unlike the long-standing, enduring nature. This was my grandfather's favorite song, and he always asked me to play it when I visited him. ‘Akatombo’ is also a song about one's childhood ̶ the protagonist sees a red dragonfly as he walks, and he is overwhelmed by all the fond memories of his youth.”

The remarkable Caroline Shaw, whose “Limestone & Felt” will be played by Tokunaga and Frampton, is a composer, vocalist, violinist and producer. She was the youngest recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2013 for Partita for 8 Voices, written for the Grammy-winning Roomful of Teeth, of which she is a member. Recent commissions include new works for Renée Fleming with Inon Barnatan, Dawn Upshaw with Sō Percussion and Gil Kalish, the Seattle Symphony, Anne Sofie von Otter with the Philharmonia Baroque and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Anchoring the concert is the concluding work, Beethoven’s String Trio, Op. 9, No. 3. Like the composer’s famous Fifth Symphony, it is in the key of C minor.

“The shared key of C minor results in some similar moods when compared with parts of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, but the intended purposes of the pieces couldn’t be more different,” Frampton said. “The String Trio, Op. 9, No. 3, is passionate and stormy like the symphony, but more intimate in the slow movement, and without the bombast and triumph of the symphony’s finale. If anything, these two pieces show Beethoven’s impressive range as a composer, and the trio is a wonderful dramatic work for the smaller ensemble.”

Tokunaga, Frampton and Kalayjian have collaborated in many settings over the years, so their coming together for a Lyrica concert is part of a natural evolution.

Winner of the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music/ Small Ensemble Performance, Tokunaga spends most of her days touring and performing globally as a soloist and chamber musician. She performed, toured and recorded extensively with the internationally acclaimed Attacca Quartet from 2005 to 2019, and has been praised by Strings Magazine for possessing a sound “with probing quality that is supple and airborne” and for her “pure, pellucid bow strokes.”

Frampton has been praised by critics for his “impressive” performances (The New York Times) and “a glowing amber tone” (The Boston Globe). Since his New York recital debut in 2009 at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, William has enjoyed a career of diverse performances around the world as a chamber musician, soloist, orchestral player and teacher.

Hailed by the Los Angeles Times as “representing the young, up-and-coming generation,” and a “superb cellist with a large, expressive, singing tone, passionate musicianship, and magnificent playing” by the Journal Tribune, Kalayjian enjoys a prolific career as a soloist, recitalist, chamber musician and educator that has taken her to Japan, Australia, Canada, the Middle East, and throughout Europe and the United States. Newly appointed artistic director at the Woman's Club of Englewood, Kalayjian founded a brand new chamber music series, Carriage House Concerts, whose mission is to connect the community through the art.

Sunday’s concert can be seen on Lyrica’s YouTube channel. The concert is free, but Lyrica welcomes donations which go toward supporting this concert series. Suggested donation amount is $30.

For more information about Lyrica Chamber Music, visit www.lyricachambermusic.org or call 973-309-1668.