BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
A portable timber cube seats 52 audience members, and they’re positioned in circles around a tiny stage. A string quartet is stationed in the centre, and each player’s performance can be critiqued from all angles: their gestures, the eye contact they make with their fellow instrumentalists, and the music on their stands are all visible to their listeners.
The acoustics of this venue make it possible to hear almost every sound produced — “from the scrape of a bow on the string to a finger hammering down on the fingerboard”, according to violinist Donica Tran.
Donica plays in Artamidae Quartet — one of the six groups to play in this unique venue and concert series known as ANAM Quartetthaus. They’ve been preparing for two years to bring audiences a special and intimate experience in the architecturally designed space.
Artamidae Quartet will perform in about 20 concerts throughout this season of ANAM Quartetthaus, circulating through seven pieces of music from composers such as Purcell, Sculthorpe, and Maconchy.
Donica (pictured below) tells CutCommon about this rare performance experience, and why her ensemble is excited to meet this unusual challenge.
Artamidae Quartet features violinists Fiona Qiu and Donica Tran, cellist Nadia Barrow, and violist Harry Swainston.
ANAM Quartetthaus is a huge series of 56 events spanning two weeks. I was pretty surprised to see Artamidae Quartet featuring in about 20 of these performances! How do you even wrap your head around such a huge commitment?!
We first found out that we were going to be a part of the ANAM Quartetthaus Season in London two years ago on a dreary afternoon during lockdown. You can imagine how excited we were to receive the news, and started rehearsing and planning for this immense task as soon as we knew the repertoire.
Two years and a delayed shipping container later, it’s finally here and it honestly feels a little surreal. Seeing the spreadsheet with all our concerts was a little daunting at first, but careful planning and rehearsing helps us stay grounded and on top of things.
So talk us through how you’ve been preparing for the string of events! How did your quartet map out a plan to make sure you were being as productive as possible?
With seven works to prepare, it was vital that we were rehearsing as efficiently as possible. We sat down with our mentor Sophie Rowell who helped us write our first rehearsal schedule – listing our priorities, how long we needed to spend on things, and goals we hoped to achieve in that session. Goals could include performances in classes at ANAM, organising concerts, or smaller things like running the piece.
Having a goal at the centre of our practice definitely increased productivity, and made sure nothing got neglected. It is less overwhelming knowing that everything is accounted for in the schedule.
So you’re performing seven pieces in total — how much time did you spend on each piece? And how did you know when it was okay to move from one piece to the next, based on how satisfied you were along the way?
We have had lots of time rehearsing these pieces – almost too many to count! Each piece is quite different in style and requires different approaches when rehearsing, with the group prioritising the longer and more difficult works such as the Walton String Quartet in A minor, or the Hyde String Quartet in E minor.
Each piece is thoroughly rehearsed on our own before taking it to one of the many amazing teachers at ANAM to workshop it with them. We would also regularly perform in classes to make sure nothing we’ve rehearsed becomes unstuck under pressure.
Repeat this process a couple of times, and there’s (hopefully) a polished string quartet by the end!
What did this process teach you?
This process has taught me many valuable lessons. In relation to ensemble playing, I’ve learnt how to better communicate ideas, contribute to a group interpretation of a work, and how to plan and manage my time around an immense workload and a looming deadline.
I now feel that I am more adept at organising my life around a schedule, as well as rehearsing more efficiently – doing more in less time, and that is something that I can apply to my own practice and everyday life.
You’re performing so many pieces in such a short timeframe. I’m wondering, how are you keeping yourself healthy?
Preparing for the ANAM Quartetthaus is an huge and time-consuming task, so working in a healthy and balanced manner is essential.
Regular breaks are included in our schedule, and it is time for us to rest our bodies, eat something healthy, and have a chat about something other than music.
Let’s talk about the venue. How are you feeling about being in the centre of such a unique performance space?
It’s an intimate venue that is very different from a traditional concert hall, featuring a rotating stage that a small audience is seated around, enabling them to watch the performers from all angles. The acoustics in the box are quite dry, and the audience sits so close that they can really hear everything, from the scrape of a bow on the string to a finger hammering down on the fingerboard.
Hearing the mechanics that go into playing an instrument is something that you don’t often hear in a traditional concert space, and makes for a unique experience. It reminds me of ballet: from far away, it looks so effortless and graceful — but up close, you can hear the thumping of pointe shoes and see how physically demanding it actually is.
It’s a rare performance experience — to be watched from all angles. Concertgoers can look into your eyes as you play, or read your music over your shoulder. Rather than asking how you’re facing these obvious challenges — a confronting space! — I’d like to know something you think is really special about this set-up.
The rotating stage is such an interesting set-up, which I think allows the audience a peek into the process behind the music they’re hearing. For example, my music is full of scrawling from many rehearsals, coachings, and performances, and the way I notate my part is very personal to me and shows the many things I have had to fix or remind myself of along the way. Being able to engage in this way as an audience member is quite special, as it creates a more intimate connection between themselves, the performers, and the music.
In combination with a drier acoustic, this gives concertgoers a view into something more personal and unfiltered than what is usually seen in a traditional concert set-up.
What do you hope to gain from this experience in ANAM Quartetthaus?
I think the sheer number of performances can only benefit our development as a group, as each performance gives us another opportunity to reflect and improve for the following one.
I have gained so much personal and professional experience in the rehearsal process alone, it’s exciting to imagine what I will learn once the concert series begins. There’s only one way to find out!
Parting words before your events?
The ANAM Quartetthaus season is such a unique experience that I will cherish forever. I have learnt so many valuable lessons from my time preparing for it, and I can’t wait to share it with audiences!
ANAM Quartetthaus takes place at Melbourne Museum, with 10 days of concerts between 3-14 May. For the full performance schedule and line-up, visit the ANAM website.
Images supplied. Musicians captured by Pia Johnson.
