Performance Journal – Learning to Listen Differently

This week, our quartet performed Mendelssohn's String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 13 at the lunchtime concert. It was a rewarding experience and quite different from performing as a soloist.

When playing solo, I naturally focus a lot on making sure the notes, phrasing, and interpretation come across the way I want. In a quartet, however, the focus shifts. Playing accurately is still important, but being together as an ensemble becomes even more important. Sometimes it is better to adjust your own playing to support the group rather than insist on your own idea.

We performed Mendelssohn's String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 13 at the lunchtime concert

The next day after the performance, we listened back to the recording and shared our reflections. It was interesting to hear the performance from the audience's perspective. Some passages that felt very secure while playing did not sound as together as I expected, while other moments that felt uncertain actually worked quite well.

One thing I noticed was how important listening is in chamber music. Keeping in time is not just about counting correctly. It is about listening to each other, feeling the pulse together, and reacting to what is happening around you. Small differences in timing that might not matter in a solo performance can become much more noticeable when four people are trying to play as one.

Listening to the recording also reminded me that chamber music is really a team activity. Everyone brings different ideas, personalities, and musical instincts. The challenge is finding a balance where all four musicians contribute while creating a unified sound.

The performance itself was enjoyable, but the reflection afterwards was equally valuable. It helped me understand that successful chamber music is not only about how well I play my own part. It is also about how well I listen, communicate, and work together with others.

That is probably one of the biggest lessons I took away from this performance:

in a quartet, collaboration is just as important as individual playing.