By Lyn Bronson
Most of us probably spend more time listening to recorded music than we do live performances. However, no matter how favorably controlled the acoustical environment is in the recording studio, there is still no substitute for the more natural experience of hearing artists live in concert. This was brought home to us once again last night as the Carmel Music Society presented the distinguished Alexander String Quartet at All Saints Church in Carmel. This church is virtually a perfect venue for music since its vast reflective wood surfaces bring immediacy to performances no matter whether you are in one of the pews close to the performers or one situated at the rear of the church. A capacity audience turned out for this concert last night and its members were not to be disappointed.
The musicians of the Alexander String Quartet − violinists Zakarias Grafilo and Frederick Lifsitz, violist Paul Yarbrough and cellist Sandy Wilson − are virtuosos in their own right and they were in fine form last night. The opening work on the program, Mozart’s Divertimento in D Major, K.136, was a marvel of fine individual playing combining effortlessly to create beautiful ensemble and music making on a high order.
