Accordo at The Southern Theater

After an auspicious and critically lauded debut last September, the chamber group Accordo returns to the Southern Theater this month. Accordo is made up of elite players from the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, including principal players Steve Copes, Ruggero Allifranchini, Maiya Papach, and Ron Thomas, as well as Minnesota Orchestra principal cellist Tony Ross. The group’s name (an Italian word that means both a musical chord and to be in agreement) aptly describes the sum and substance of a successful chamber ensemble.

Ross likens the chamber form to “sitting at a table and discussing important issues over a glass of wine. If you have the right combination of friends, it can be an interesting, deep discussion.”

This month’s concert program calls to mind great artistic conversations that occurred in 1920s Paris. Anchoring it is Debussy’s String Quartet in G minor, op. 10, a piece so innovative it had a huge impact on composers who followed, including Ravel, whose lush and thorny Sonata for Violin & Cello will be played by Copes and Ross. Stravinsky, though Russian, skyrocketed to international fame while in Paris, thanks to three revolutionary ballets he wrote for impresario Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russe—and his Concertino for String Quartet (a showpiece for Copes) rounds out Accordo’s concert.

By performing at the Southern, Copes hopes Accordo will connect with Southern Theater regulars who may be unfamiliar with chamber music and also attract classical music fans to a new venue. “It’s a fantastic space for chamber music,” he insists, noting that the old hall’s cement walls create a very focused, rich sound. The venue’s intimacy is also an asset. By removing the barrier between the performers and audience, it is that much easier for listeners to enjoy the conversation. Jan. 31–Feb. 1.

Southern Theater, 1420 Washington Ave. S., Mpls., 612-340-1725, southerntheater.org