Dover Quartet Cellist Camden Shaw: ‘In Six Parts’ a layered composition without rules

By Heather Longley

Dover Quartet cellist Camden Shaw has an observation of Marc Neikrug’s Piano Quintet No. 2, “In Six Parts.”

“I don't know what compositional tools he’s working from,” Shaw said in a Center for the Performing Arts interview. “I get the sense that it’s from a very natural, genuine place where he’s not confining himself to rules.”

The ensemble and pianist Haochen Zhang will perform the soaring musical at its return performance at Penn State School of Music’s Recital Hall on March 21.

“It reminds us a lot of some of our favorite music from the Second Viennese School, and like Alban Berg — this incredible richness and emotion,” Shaw said. “Most of the piano quintet is slow. You could almost say that it’s like a series of slow movements, with a couple of exceptions. But it’s very passionate and kind of dark.”

The recital will start with Zhang performing Ludwig van Beethoven’s Sonata in E Major, Op. 109, and end with Dover Quartet’s version of Franz Schubert’s String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, D 810, “Death and the Maiden.”

In between, they will perform together Neikrug’s literal center piece of the program, written specifically for Dover Quartet and Zhang.

“As with most of my music, the demands on the performers are great. The writing requires obvious mastery of their instruments,” Neikrug said. “It also demands engaged emotional understanding and great ensemble. Because of the independence of the parts, everyone needs to be aware of what everyone else is playing at all times.”

He composed “In Six Parts” in 2021, with the idea that the piece was one extended movement. “The form of the work is all about layering and perspective,” he said in composer’s notes.

Neikrug, who in July marked his 25^th anniversary as artistic director at Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, was a performer for much of his career, including touring with violinist Pinchas Zukerman. Neikrug accompanied Zukerman on piano in a performance on Sept. 28, 1979, in Eisenhower Auditorium.

“Marc’s music is really unique and very convincing in his voice. It’s very lyrical but also quite challenging harmonically,” Shaw said.

“It’s a cool pacing for the piece, because it's in six,” violinist Joel Link said. “Some are longer, some are shorter, but I’d say, overall, six shorter movements. I feel like they’re these little vignettes, and they’re all very different for me.”

Assembling a chamber ensemble

Dover Quartet was formed at Curtis Institute of Music in 2008, and it has been designated one of the greatest string quartets of the past 100 years by BBC Music Magazine. The two-time Grammy Award-nominated group of string musicians is one of the world’s most in-demand chamber ensembles and is an artist in residence at multiple organizations.

Zhang, also a graduate of the Curtis Institute, “feels like part of the musical family,” Shaw said.

In addition to Dover Quartet, the pianist has collaborated Shanghai, Tokyo and Brentano quartets. He is frequently invited to perform by chamber music festivals in the United States, including the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and La Jolla Summerfest.

“One thing from my perspective that's really special about how Chen is that he's always thinking about music,” Shaw said. “Whenever you see him, often he’ll kind of be just in this in this mind space where he’s really imagining sound. He's very, very serious about music.”

Haochen’s performances at the Cliburn Competition were released to critical acclaim by Harmonia Mundi in 2009. He also is featured in Peter Rosen’s award-winning documentary chronicling the 2009 Cliburn Competition, “A Surprise in Texas.”

“The Beethoven Op. 109 that he’s gonna play is one of my favorite piano sonatas ever, it’s very, very difficult,” Shaw said. “The way he plays it is really poetic and really poignant. It’s gonna be powerful for sure.”

In addition to the ticketed event with Zhang, Dover Quartet will perform an intimate Classical Coffeehouse at 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 20, in Hintz Family Alumni Center’s Robb Hall. Visit Ensemble online for more information about both events.

Heather Longley is a communications specialist at the Center for the Performing Arts.