Classical Pick of the Week: Chamber Music!

The String Quartet by Ravel is one of the many chamber music pieces you can listen to live this week. In the 17th and 18th centuries, music was one of the many privileges enjoyed by the social elite. In fact, many of these families had their own orchestras on hand. In order to enjoy music in the comfort of their own bedrooms, "chamber music" was composed in which only three to five musicians were needed to perform a piece of music. This form of classical music has become one of the most popular today; virtually every composer has written chamber music in one form or another. This week there are several "chamber music" concerts in the Los Angeles area.

Members of the LA Phil will perform at the Mouse House on April 28th at 8 PM. The performance includes performances of Arensky, Prokofiev, and Stravinsky. One of the pieces, L'histoire du Soldat has been arranged for violin, clarinet, and piano. This is also an opportunity to hear the rarely performed octet composed by Stravinsky.

On Saturday, May 2nd and 4th, Southwest Chamber Music will present the works of Toru Takemitsu. They plan to show his "Waterscape Series", including various Japanese instruments and a Q & A session with the musicians.

Also on May 2nd, the Pacific Serenades will present the world premiere of a new work for string quartet by Jazz pianist Billy Childs. The concert will be repeated on May 3rd and 5th. The concert location changes each day, so click here for more information. The program also includes Ravel's mesmerizing String Quartet in F Major and a duo by Mozart. On May 3rd, the Da Camera Society hosts a chamber music concert on the Queen Mary. The concert is at 4 PM. At 6, the Young Musicians Foundation Chamber Ensembles will perform at LACMA as part of the Sundays Live program.