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  Joseph
Haydn, who is credited
with the "invention" of the string quartet as we know it,
established the standard instrumentation of 2 violins, viola and cello
between 1750 and 1803.
Haydn composed 68 string quartets and without them the chamber
music achievements of
Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert--and everyone who came later--would
have been unthinkable.
For you hardened quartet fans, you can get them complete on 21(!) CDs at amazon.com
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Gyros Quartet, Cistercian Abbey
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Why a quartet and not - say - a trio?
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For the same reason your car has
four wheels and not three. It works better. (Even BMW - no slouch in the
engineering department - discontinued its famous 3-wheeler, the
"Isetta", by 1964).
On a more serious note though, the main reason is that you lose most of
that incredible repertoire. For example, a prolific composer like Mozart
(who most likely would have enjoyed a ride on the "autobahn"
at 140 mph) wrote only 1 string trio, versus 23 string
quartets.
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How does the quartet dress?
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The dress code is normally formal: men in tuxedos / women in black. For
some occasions, like a morning funeral service, dark suit and long tie
will be more appropriate.
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What do you require to perform?
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The quartet requires only 4 upright chairs without arms in an area
ideally ca. 8 by 8 feet (If that is not quite possible, don't worry, we
have squeezed into some tight places on occasion).
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Are you willing to play outdoors?
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Yes, we are - within reason. Our
main concerns are the safety of the instruments and being able to
perform well. i.e.
1. We must be in full
shade (especially in the summer), temperatures must be between 65°F
minimum and 95°F maximum.
2. There cannot be any precipitation.
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Do you play for receptions also?
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Yes - we often play during the cocktail hour and/or for dinner, and
frequently the whole of the reception.
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My wedding ceremony and the reception are in two different locations. How do you charge for
that?
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In a situation like this, which is quite common, we charge for the length of the
engagement, including the time to travel between venues. In other
words, from the start of the prelude until the end of our playing time
at the reception This
usually needs to be addressed on an individual basis.
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Prelude:
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Is there going to be music before my ceremony?
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We suggest prelude music one-half hour before the start of the
ceremony. This does help greatly to set the mood for your guests as they
are waiting for the
wedding ceremony to begin.
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How do I choose the music for the prelude? Do I have to select the whole program?
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It is not necessary for you to choose all the prelude music, unless of
course you want to. Some people have very definite ideas about
programming, others leave it completely to us. Through long experience
we have found that choosing from a wide variety of material, according
to what “feels” best for the moment and the location, usually works
best. Also, if you give us an indication what mood you would like to
create, we can make appropriate recommendations.
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Ceremony:
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How many pieces of music do I
need for the ceremony?
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-- For a Christian or non-denominational wedding, you might have six to
seven separate pieces:
A. one for the seating of the grand mothers, one for the seating of the
mothers (depending on the numbers of grand mothers and mothers, it could
be only one piece)
B. one for the bridal party (minister, grooms men, brides maids, flower
girls, ring bearer, etc.)
C. one for the entrance of the bride.
D. Very often there is a short meditational piece, lighting of the Unity
Candle, for example.
E. one for the Recessional (exit of the bridal party)
F. one for the Postlude (music for the guests to leave by).
Often, the minister will make an announcement between Recessional and
Postlude
We will help you of course with all of this during consultation.
-- For a Jewish wedding ceremony, there are usually two pieces:
one for the entrance of the rabbi, grand parents, groom and his parents, and bridal attendants, and another for the entrance of the bride and her parents.
Sometimes, the Rabbi or cantor will vocalize through their own entrance,
after which the quartet will begin for the remainder of the entrances.
You can find a repertoire list specific to Jewish
weddings here.
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How will you know when to start the music for the ceremony?
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All we need is a signal from your wedding coordinator. Also, we do arrive half an hour before prelude begins
and go over the details with the appointed person to confirm the plan.
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How do we time our entrances to finish with the music?
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You don't actually have to worry about that. We have through long
experience become very skilled in ending the music at just the right time.
The only thing we do need to know is how many people are processing to each piece of music.
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Can I have music during the ceremony?
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-- In a Christian ceremony, there is often room for some short pieces: after readings,
lighting of the unity candle, communion, parts of the Mass,
congregational hymns etc. Please also ask your
officiator about these for help in choosing appropriate music.
-- During a Jewish ceremony, there is usually no music from the string quartet.
If a cantor is present, he will often sing here.
You can find a repertoire list specific to Jewish
weddings here.
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How many pieces do we need for the recessional?
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Normally, one piece for the exit of the bridal party, and one more for
your guests to leave by. Often, an announcement is made between these
two.
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Planning:
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How far in advance should we book
your quartet?
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We encourage you to book as
early as
is feasible, since the majority of spring and summer weekend dates book
up rather quickly during January each year. Don't hesitate to call on
short notice however. We have often been able to accommodate even very
late bookings because of a previous cancellation.
A 50%
deposit is required at the time of contract to reserve a date.
(by check normally, but, if you want to put it on a credit card, PayPal
is an option). We do prefer getting the balance two weeks prior to the
event, that way neither you or we have to think about it. If that makes
you nervous -- “what if they don‘t show up!” (something that has
never happened in 19 years) -- you can pay us at the event.
Dates are
reserved on a "first
come, first served" basis - unless of course your name is James
Burke or Sophia Loren. (those are the only two exceptions).
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When should we make the music
selections?
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It would be good if we could talk before you meet with your
officiator. That way we can come up with a preliminary program, based on
what you really like. Since there are usually "dos" and "don'ts" regarding certain
ceremonies, adjustments can be made after the meeting. Obviously, the earlier
we discuss music choices, the easier it will be to accommodate special
requests.
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The organist is included with the
church fee. Can we incorporate the organ?
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Having both the organ and string quartet is actually very useful. We
have quite a few arrangements for string quartet and organ that create a beautiful orchestral sound. (see
the samples page under live recordings).
Also, after 30 min. of the sound of strings during the prelude, it can
be a great “color” change to use organ and strings for the bride’s
entrance, for example. The recessional is another great spot to
collaborate.
If there are congregational hymns in your ceremony, the organ would of
course be most useful.
Additionally, the organist often is very helpful with
cueing/coordinating the strings with the proceedings (Michael Lindner at
St.Thomas Aquinas and Colin Howland at Park Cities Presbyterian are
outstanding examples of this).
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What if there is a special piece of music I would like
to be played. Can you do that?
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Yes, we almost always can. If it is not in our repertoire, or even available for string quartet, we
can write an arrangement for the quartet (a fee typically applies, in
all cases needs to be addressed on an individual basis).
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Will you perform with singers?
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Absolutely. We will touch base with them ahead of time, work out details
about keys, sheet music etc.
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Do you need to rehearse with the vocalist(s)?
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Often, depending on the material, a rehearsal is needed for the the
song(s) in question. Usually 30 min. before prelude begins. (a fee
typically applies, in all cases needs to be addressed on an individual basis).
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Do we need to meet in person?
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It is actually not necessary to meet in person. All details can be addressed over the
phone or via e-mail, but, if you prefer meeting in person, we would be happy to.
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Will you attend the wedding rehearsal? I'm worried about timing the
bridal party to the music.
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It is really not necessary for us to attend rehearsals. First of all, we are
very adept in timing the music to the right length, and secondly, it
would add to the cost. (we are usually playing for another client's
function during your rehearsal).
Having said that, there have been occasions, where the music choices and
number of performers made it important to have a rehearsal with the full
quartet and everybody else before the wedding day. Only recommended if
money is not really an issue.
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Want to know what our clients have to say? Click here.
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For a consultation or to
arrange a booking for your event, please contact Norbert Gerl
by phone at 214-373-9498 or via >> e-mail. |
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