My wife recently introduced me to yet another hidden treasure of our Circle City, the Ensemble Music Society (www.ensemblemusic.org). Established in 1944 (!), this all-volunteer assemblage of chamber music enthusiasts manages to bring world-class talent to Indianapolis year-on-year, providing an intimate complement to our very fine ISO.
Over against the comparative majesty of Hilbert Circle Theatre, the venue for the Society’s concerts is the welcoming if understated Frank and Katrina Basile Theater at Indiana History Center (www.indianahistory.org).
Although the Basile Theater hosts some significant music-making throughout the year, it’s difficult to imagine it welcoming a more eye-popping and ear-pleasing lineup of world class talent than the EMS brings its way. On a pleasant early-Autumn weeknight this week with little traffic and easily accessible parking, we were privileged to hear one of the premier quartet’s of the chamber music scene.
Although the Takács Quartet is no longer an all-Hungarian crew, its origins and inspiration are hardly in doubt (www.takacsquartet.com). Regularly appearing on nomination and award lists associated with the Grammies and Gramophone, the Takács is all that the music press cracks them up to be, plus you get to enjoy their energy and artistry up close and personal in Indy in a way that would remain a pipe dream in a larger metropolis. Even the CDs sold at the door come in at or below the price of the same recordings sold used on Amazon.com. Trust me, you will want to own the Takács interpretations of Bartok (of course) and Beethoven, though recent rave reviews are incoming as well regarding the Quartet’s touch with Schubert.
The foursome integrates precision and soul with remarkable energy. A newcomer to chamber music might wonder what all the rocking and rolling about on stage is getting up to. Within ten minutes of careful listening, he’d have his answer. There is arguably no better live performance of both the traditional and modern chamber repertoires to be found. The Takács is extraordinarily uninhibited about the sheer physicality of performing this intricate and demanding genre.
On ‘our’ night, the foursome played Haydn, Janacek, and Brahms, in that order. It was a stroll through the evolutionary history of the art form, allowing for the chronological and stylistic inversion of Brahms and Janacek.
On a night like this—the EMS and Takács fresh on my radar screen and an upcoming performance by eighth blackbird in my sights—Indy seems one step closer to its ‘World Class City’ ambitions. Sans gloating, strutting, or whining.
What’s not to like?
Canter Bridge 
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