2008 Woodie Awards
Bohemian Quartet Receives Standing Ovation for Sunday's Performance
Alison DeNisco
Issue date: 10/2/08 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Walking into the Ryan Concert Hall last Sunday, you might have thought you were listening to the musical score from the latest Hollywood blockbuster instead of a small string quartet. The Bohemian Quartet played an intricate set of gypsy and Romanian music, bringing a unique sense of culture to Providence College.
The Bohemian Quartet is a four-piece band composed of a violin, cello, guitar, and an upright bass. It was founded by the violinist Stan Renard in 2005 and is based in Providence.
From the size and noise level of the crowd, the Bohemian Quartet could have been playing at a venue like Lupo's rather than in the Smith Center. Even though most of the audience members were older and rather distinguished-looking, that didn't stop them from clapping along at times and breaking out into enthusiastic applause after each song. There was even the occasional well-deserved "woohoo!"
The Quartet was an extremely talented group. I'll admit that string quartet music is not really my forte, but listening to them play was a very soothing and enjoyable experience, much like listening to the score of a movie. They played traditional gypsy and Romanian music, which they are dedicated to spreading the awareness of, with other pieces influenced by Polish, as well as Eastern European folk songs. The sounds were wide in range, from a waltz-like tune to a faster, almost country beat, to even a variation of a tango at one point.
Renard shared his French origins, and said that he grew up listening to gypsy music rather than anything mainstream. He eventually came to the U.S. and put an advertisement in the paper for band members, which guitarist Paul Kolesnikow answered. They were later joined one at a time by bassist John DeBossu and cellist Christine Harrington.
All of the music, script, and poem translations were arranged by Renard. Watching him on the violin was almost the same as watching the lead singer of a band; he was the only member of the Quartet who was able to move around the stage a little, and he had the most powerfully heard instrument. During one song, "The Lark," Renard's violin truly sounded like a singing bird. Kolesnikow's guitar was more prominent during certain numbers, with the cello and the upright bass fading into the background. However, you could tell that without the latter two the sound of the quartet would not be nearly as rich or complex as it is. One piece was a duet between the violin and the cello, which worked together flawlessly.
Interspersed between the songs were the stories and poems read by a narrator, Steve Lynch, that complemented the music. Lynch had a charming accent from I have no idea where, and the audience loved his jokes and overall persona. He admitted he had been working as a janitor in a bank when he met Renard, and as they got to talking, Renard invited him to join their show.
The Quartet received a standing ovation and returned for an encore, which I for one did not imagine happening at a concert featuring more classical-style music, and was actually pretty cool.
The Bohemian Quartet released its first CD, Word of Mouth, in 2006, and has since been featured on the One World Show, which received the award for best musical documentary in 2007 in Rhode Island. Their next CD is expected to be released in spring 2009. If you do happen to be into classical music, I would say the Bohemian Quartet is definitely worth checking out.
The Bohemian Quartet is a four-piece band composed of a violin, cello, guitar, and an upright bass. It was founded by the violinist Stan Renard in 2005 and is based in Providence.
From the size and noise level of the crowd, the Bohemian Quartet could have been playing at a venue like Lupo's rather than in the Smith Center. Even though most of the audience members were older and rather distinguished-looking, that didn't stop them from clapping along at times and breaking out into enthusiastic applause after each song. There was even the occasional well-deserved "woohoo!"
The Quartet was an extremely talented group. I'll admit that string quartet music is not really my forte, but listening to them play was a very soothing and enjoyable experience, much like listening to the score of a movie. They played traditional gypsy and Romanian music, which they are dedicated to spreading the awareness of, with other pieces influenced by Polish, as well as Eastern European folk songs. The sounds were wide in range, from a waltz-like tune to a faster, almost country beat, to even a variation of a tango at one point.
Renard shared his French origins, and said that he grew up listening to gypsy music rather than anything mainstream. He eventually came to the U.S. and put an advertisement in the paper for band members, which guitarist Paul Kolesnikow answered. They were later joined one at a time by bassist John DeBossu and cellist Christine Harrington.
All of the music, script, and poem translations were arranged by Renard. Watching him on the violin was almost the same as watching the lead singer of a band; he was the only member of the Quartet who was able to move around the stage a little, and he had the most powerfully heard instrument. During one song, "The Lark," Renard's violin truly sounded like a singing bird. Kolesnikow's guitar was more prominent during certain numbers, with the cello and the upright bass fading into the background. However, you could tell that without the latter two the sound of the quartet would not be nearly as rich or complex as it is. One piece was a duet between the violin and the cello, which worked together flawlessly.
Interspersed between the songs were the stories and poems read by a narrator, Steve Lynch, that complemented the music. Lynch had a charming accent from I have no idea where, and the audience loved his jokes and overall persona. He admitted he had been working as a janitor in a bank when he met Renard, and as they got to talking, Renard invited him to join their show.
The Quartet received a standing ovation and returned for an encore, which I for one did not imagine happening at a concert featuring more classical-style music, and was actually pretty cool.
The Bohemian Quartet released its first CD, Word of Mouth, in 2006, and has since been featured on the One World Show, which received the award for best musical documentary in 2007 in Rhode Island. Their next CD is expected to be released in spring 2009. If you do happen to be into classical music, I would say the Bohemian Quartet is definitely worth checking out.
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