By Syma Sayyah, Tehran

One of my many delights when I was at Essex University, many years ago, was the Wednesday lunch time concert at the mathematics department staff lunch at 1 p.m. every Wednesday.  The local string quartet came and delighted the audiences with their magical notes and lovely sounds, while you could eat some nice fresh lunch from the small salad bar set up for the occasion.

Photo by Mario Vitalone

My love of string quartets started there and has stayed with me ever since.  I find it most homely and enjoyable.  So when I learnt that the Italian Embassy in Tehran, with the hard work of the cultural attaché Mrs. Ferraro, in cooperation with the Iranian Music Society had organized a concert by a String Quartet at one of the small salons at the Vahadat (Roudaki) Hall, I made sure that we made it to one of the two performances.  

The Pitagora String Quartet played pieces by Mozart, Puccini and Borodin.  I had tears in my eyes when they played the Crisantemi by Puccini as it was so wonderfully moving.  The young performers came from Italy, but Nasim Saad the cellist was born and trained in Tehran:

CARLO VICARI             VIOLIN
SIMONA BRUNELLO     VIOLIN
LORENZO RUNDO        VIOLA
NASIM SAAD               CELLO

We went with our good friends, Zara and Afsaneh and enjoyed it despite the terrible lighting.  Jaye shoma khali (we missed you).

The program

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 
String Quartet in G        KV156
(Presto, Andante, Tempo di Minuetto)

Giacomo Puccini
"Crisantemi" Elegy for string quartet

Alexander Borodin
String Quartet no 2 in D major
(Allegro Moderato, Scherzo:Allegro, Notturno:Andante, Andante-vivace)