By Nicole Zamlout
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Music sprang proudly through Mayo Concert Hall at the College’s Strings Recital which featured the College’s Guitar Ensemble on Thursday, April 18 at 8 p.m. The TCNJ Strings began the performance and were followed later by the Guitar Ensemble.
The concert began with “Quartet for Flute, Violin, Viola and Cello No.3 in C Major” by Wolfgang Amodeus Mozart. The song was upbeat, moving and allowed for a light springtime feel that left the audience thankful for the season’s long-awaited arrival.
The next piece, “String Quartet in D Major, Op.50” by Joseph Haydn, was moving, bright and had an intensity that was accented with quick, cutting notes.
This upbeat song was followed by “Sonata No. 1 for Violin Solo in G Major” by Johann Sebastian Bach. The solo was haunting and melancholic and gave the audience chills.
Lorena Limato, a senior music education major, performed the Bach solo, which has taken her since last semester to master due to its unusual composition.
“It’s a staple in violin repertoire,” Limato said. “It’s really hard and was written almost like it was written for a piano. So I took it in chunks and I tried to master each chunk at a time and once I got a quarter of the way through, then halfway through, I tried to tie everything back together until I could play the whole piece top to bottom.”
Other performers had a similar preparation schedule. They met with a faculty member once a week and dedicated hours of additional practice to their craft.
The College’s Guitar Ensemble also took the stage to perform. The ensemble performed two songs, “The Night Watch” by Anthony Holborne and a traditional Cuban piece titled, “Danza Cubana.”
“The Night Watch” had a soothing tune with a joyous melody that swept over the audience. The piece was somewhat reminiscent of a campfire song — it was relaxing and energetic all at once.
“Danza Cubana” was a beautiful piece that the audience couldn’t help but tap their feet to as it washed over the concert hall.
The final piece of the show, “Piano Trio No.2 in E-Flat Major” by Franz Schubert, left audiences spellbound as it switched from dark and enticing to a more flowy and light tune.
The concert ended with roaring applause and musicians were greeted by proud family and friends.
“I think it went well,” Limato said. “It was really great to be able to have a time to watch everyone else perform and support each other.”
Many audience members echoed Limato’s sentiments.
“I thought it was really nice,” said Maddie Kaba, a senior music education major. “I’m glad they get to share all of the work that they’ve been doing in the small ensembles. It’s really the only time we get to see it, so it’s awesome to hear.”
