After performing a bouncy staccato-filled rendition of Canadian rapper Drake’s “Passionfruit,” Listeso Music Group’s violinist Victoria Moreira stood on an intimate stage and asked the audience if this was their first time seeing a live string quartet.
Moreira chuckled and asked, “Could you ever imagine that you would come to listen to Drake’s songs?”
Moreira and other members of the quartet — comprised of two violinists, a violist and a cellist — were surrounded by artificial candles, which adorned the interior of Chicago’s Stan Mansion on Sunday at “Candlelight: Tribute to Drake.” Several Northwestern students attended the concert on a trip hosted by South Area Faculty in Residence and Medill Prof. Ava Thompson Greenwell.
The quartet did a phenomenal job adapting Drake’s contemporary hits and deep cuts to have a more classical, melodic feel.
“One really cool thing about the experience of listening to these songs just with these instruments is that you can really hear all the musical elements of the songs,” Moreira said. “The lyrics are pretty incredible, but by not having them, you get a chance to hear all the other stuff there.”
The quartet transitioned into “Marvins Room” and “Teenage Fever,” adding a livelier, dramatic feel to the originally mellow songs. “Marvins Room” was an unexpected standout of the night. When all four performers played in unison, they created a cinematic ambiance.
The quartet followed these two renditions with an upbeat performance of “Headlines,” Drake’s lead single off his sophomore album “Take Care,” which was one of the most exciting songs of the night. The composition was punchy and high-tempo, and audience members started filming and singing along — like a quieter version of an actual Drake concert.
Other highlights of the setlist included “God’s Plan” and “One Dance.” “God’s Plan” started simply, but picked up in energy and complexity during the first pre-chorus. Each performer had a moment to shine, especially violist James Kang during the second verse, who elicited whoops and cheers as he played the highly recognizable, “She say, ‘Do you love me?’ I tell her, ‘Only partly, I only love my bed and my mama, I’m sorry.’” The audience applauded as the group decrescendoed into the outro.
During “One Dance,” Moreira carried the melody with so much vigor that at times, the song took on an almost indignant tone. A dramatic crescendo led into the chorus as Moreira seemed to attack her violin on lyrics like “Got a Hennessy in my hand.” With each chorus, the music grew in volume and pitch, culminating in a shrill whistling rendition of the final refrain.
The quartet introduced the ostensible last song, “Hold On, We’re Going Home,” which offered a somber ending to the night. While the rendition wasn’t particularly memorable, the string plucking added sparks of energy to the performance. After a standing ovation, however, the quartet surprised the audience by announcing one more song — the two-time Grammy Award-winning “Hotline Bling.”
This final performance ended the concert on an energetic note, offering a stripped-down verse but a gorgeous medley on the chorus. Audience members sang along enthusiastically, and upon the conclusion of the song, they rose for a second standing ovation.
Listeso Music Group managed to successfully translate Drake’s R&B hits into a new genre, pulling subtle nuances in the original production to the forefront of the compositions. In several instances, their compositions reinterpreted or improved the emotionality of the original pieces while staying faithful to their melodies — all entirely with instrumentals.
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