Lark Ascending Poem by gershon hepner

Under every cloud there lies
a lining that is dark
until I look into your eyes,
ascending like the lark
Vaughan-Williams' violin portrayed,
as, elevated by
your lightness, I evade the shade,
and we together fly,
Following Andante, Presto,
like a lark in flight,
will become the manifesto
of our love tonight.


Inspired by a review by Steve Smith of a performance of Schubert Quartets by the Emerson String Quartet (“A Program of Schubert, Dark Linings and All, From a Long-Awaited Quartet, ” NYT, June 23,2009) :
In Schubert’s String Quartet in A minor (D.804, “Rosamunde”) , the Emerson players immediately asserted the qualities for which they have become renowned: impeccable blend and balance among ensemble voices, poise and abundant energy. Philip Setzer, playing first violin, led with sweetly spun solo melodies, his phrasing expressive without excess. The violist, Lawrence Dutton, countered with urgency. The group’s playing in the jocular, bouncy Menuetto was keenly attuned to that special strain of morbidity you find in Schubert as nowhere else, a propensity for finding a dark lining under every silver cloud. Here, the cellist, David Finckel, stood out for an affecting tenderness in his phrasing. Even in the finale, as insouciant and frisky a movement as Schubert ever wrote, the Emerson players were mindful of lingering shadows. Eugene Drucker played first violin for the remainder of the concert, which included a bracing dash through the Quartettsatz in C minor (D.703) and, after intermission, a powerful account of the String Quartet in D minor (D.810, “Death and the Maiden”) . The opening Allegro had a demonic drive and gripping tension; its haunted final section was chilling. After the songful respite of the Andante, a bristling Scherzo set the stage for a Presto movement of diabolical intensity. No wonder the onset of applause at the end seemed especially explosive.

© 2009 Gershon Hepner 6/23/09