Your MC34 note - Rastrelli Cello Quartet
Dear Friends,
The Rastrelli Cello Quartet closed the 25th Ventura Music Festival in July 2019 and the ovations, encores and high spirits of that Sunday afternoon are vivid still. It was both love-fest and musical feast.
For those who weren’t there, Rastrelli are beyond astonishing musically. Since there is almost no original repertory for cello quartets, they have to arrange everything themselves and have created quite an extraordinary playlist, from Brahms and Puccini to the Beatles and Pirates of the Caribbean. Whether you did or didn’t have an expectation of what four cellos would sound like, Rastrelli’s sound - the music they produce - amazes nonetheless! That each of the four is a virtuoso is admittedly a plus.
In his message to us, Kira Kraftzoff speaks heartfully of music as the “beautiful international language where artists share their souls.” Then the remaining Rastrelli members introduce themselves and, in costume and a production made just for us, launch into “Pirates of the Caribbean” – not expected holiday music to be sure, but perhaps uniquely suited to this particular season. Take it as anthem or just plain go-for-it musical fun.
I wish you a lovely run-up to the holidays, musically and otherwise.
