The Arnica Quartet is in the final push to learn Bartók’s Fouth String Quartet for a concert at the Old Church on April 22nd (at Noon). What a piece! I know I say this about everything that we are performing, but it’s true – the string quartet literature is truly the deepest and richest trove of repertoire that anyone could ask for. The Fourth is perhaps his ultimate expression in the form, though some would argue that the Fifth supersedes it. I won’t get into that dispute (but perhaps Gregory Vajda might have some opinions?) but will say that of the two, the Fourth is the more accessible of the two, and incredibly tightly constructed. As the countdown to our maiden voyage with this piece continues, I’ll write a bit about the quartet, each of its movements, and impressions from “within” the piece as we go along. Stay tuned!