by Nicholas Stevens
Distinct schools of thought emerge in any generation of musicians. Sometimes, this expresses itself in well-defined groups and ideological manifestos. In other cases, style comes before labels. When the Carpe Diem String Quartet visited Northeast Ohio last week, they brought not merely new music, but a recognizable approach that draws on certain corners of the classical tradition. Audiences enjoyed a concert of fresh fare that concluded with a Romantic mainstay — one that, in context, felt like a clear ancestor to the other material. [Read more…]