Saturday, September 25, 2010

Special Events in September!

Summer has ended however the warm days of Indian summer are here and it's been really beautiful!...hope you are enjoying the beautiful time as the season changes to autumn.

The month of September was a very busy month for Capriccio.

We started the month with a wedding held at Flowerfield in St. James NY.
Although it was a rainy day, there was n'er a cloud in the sky for our bride and groom who were such nice people and very much in love!
Their beautiful ceremony which included their own vows to each other was so romantic and hearfelt. Everyone is our string quartet was both touched and charmed by
our wonderul couple on 9/3/10: CAREY AND BRYAN.

On 9/25/10 I found this wonderful review on www.liweddings.com on "the Bride's Review":
STRING QUARTET (for hospitality and ceremony) - CAPPRICCIO ENSEMBLE
A+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Second best vendor! I cannot say enough great things about our string quartet. I worked with Natalie and she was a pleasure to work with and made our ceremony a dream come true. I wanted all contemporary music and so I chose In My Life for the parents, officiant, groom and best man to walk down to. The BP walked down to Only Time by Enya and I walked down to All I Want is You by U2. The rendition of my song gave me the goose bumps as I was walking, it was SO BEAUTIFUL. Fun Fact: They are the same quartet that played at Jerry Seinfeld’s wedding.

We are all so honored to have been a part of their most special day!

On September 24th, we provided a Duet of Cello and Violin at a Wedding Mass held at Our Lady of Hope Church, Middle Vllage, NY. The bride, Marisa, was resplendant in a gorgeous romantic gown. She looked so beautiful. The couple was very happy and everyhing worked out perfectly at their wedding mass. Highlights for us were that Eugene (cellist) and I performed beautiful ceremony interludes for the Offeratory ("The Prayer" by David Foster), for Communion ("Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring" by JS Bach) and a mix of classical to pop for their Recessional ("Allegro" from Autumn of the Four Seasons by Vivaldi flowing into "Bittersweet Symphony" by the Verve/Rolling Stones.
Also memorable was the very nice organist and music director of the church who was so helpful and just a nice guy all around, Larry Ables. The soprano had a wonderful voice as well although we did not have much occasion to speak with her she did a great job.

Another stand out ceremony was Katlyn's lovely ceremony held at the beautiful Hyatt Regency in Old Greenwich CT on 9/18/10. Our A-team Duet of Cello and Violin which is Eugene with me (Natalie) performed "All I Ask of You" for the Seating of family and Wedding Attendants Processional and then performed "She's Got a Way" by Billy Joel for the Bride's entrance. We learned later as we were leaving that this special selection ("She's Got a Way") was to be a surprise to the groom who did not know that the bride would be walking in to their favorite song!

On 9/5/10 we performed a ceremony at the beautiful Inn of New Hyde Park in New Hyde Park, NY. The bride was a tall statuesque beauty. She walked out to "Canon in D" and had a great weather day with the sun shining at about 76 degrees..picture perfect!

On 9/4/10 2 ceremonies were performed. One was an Indian Christian ceremony which was held inside of a Greek Orthodox Church in New Rochelle. It was quite an experience for our Trio. We had never participated/performed at an Indian Christian ceremony and in following the wedding program and the many rituals and prayers we were intrigued and everything as it occurred.
THe bride's Processional, at her request was "Hallelujah" by the band Paramore. I had arranged a part specially for our violist as the groom had sent 2 parts only. We made it work to our best and fullest ability. Please do not take this badly if you are bride reading this however as an accomplished and very experienced classically trained musician who also enjoys performing many different styles of music I found this particular choice (their choice not ours) to be a tad off base for the momentous occasion and also musically it was very repetitive and monotonous.Sorry, however I do not recommend that anyone use this piece of music as a Processional!
Even though it was very well played, it really and truly simply is just not appropriate. We do our best to perform any selection the client would like however sometimes and on rare occasions actually there is a piece of music, such as this one, which (JMHO..just my honest opinion) does not work well!

On Saturday evening 9/25/10 a Trio of Violin, Flute and Cello performed outdoors behind Battery Gardens which is located nest to the Staten Island ferry in lower Manhattan. During the ceremony a boat came by displaying fountains of water it was spewing in colors. It made a cute and pretty backdrop to their ceremony. The bride and groom, Aimee and David made a handsome couple. They are both super attractive and looked very happy as they exited to their chosen Recessional music which was "Viva la Veda" by Cold Play.

More next month.
Thank you for reading our latest news!

Natalie

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Mid summer Events and Weddings!

We have had a great couple of weeks.
Highlights:
On 7/24/10, Laura and Pater at Calvary Lutheran Church in East Meadow NY.
What a gorgeous bride with the most stunning bouquet ever.
The church was so sweet and filled with all of their family and guests.
Our String Quartet performed as guests entered for seating, and for the Processional of Family and Bridesmaids and "Canon in D" for Laura, our beautiful bride.
We also performd a soft rendition of "Arioso" during a Unity Candlelighting ceremony.
At the end we performed our mix of "ode to Joy" (Beethoven) into "All You Need is Love" (Beatles). They wrote to us to thank us so much for the music and to let us know that they had received many compliments on the string quartet from their family and guests.
They were wisked away into an air conditioned limousine heading towards a fun reception and celebration nearby. We wish them a lifetime of happiness!

On 7/31/10 Maite and Michael partied at the fabulous Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
Our String Quartet performed at their wedding cocktail hour and also provided the music for their entrance into the ballroom which was our version of
"Bittersweet Symphony"!
They looked wonderful and seemed to be having a fabulous time.
we wish them as well as Maite's 2 children, a lifetime of happiness!

On 8/8/10 Jay and Rachel were married at the Bryant Park Grill in Manhattan.
Our string Trio performed at their wedding ceremony. Their request and quest to find
happy sounding Jewish ceremonial music was fulfilled with the following selections:
"Mibon Siach" (a special version they found which I arranged for String Trio after receiving a lead sheet from Avremi G, a Jewish music expert), followed by
"Mibon" for the Groom's Entrance and the "Dodi Li" written by Steven Sher and made famous by a version performed years ago by Peter Paul and Mary.
We performed their requests for guest seating which included "All I Want is You" by U2, "Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles, and "She's Got a Way" by Billy Joel.
The Recessional music was the traditional Jewish music, "Siman tov-mazel tov" followed by our arrangement of "All YOu Need is Love" by the Beatles.
The Ceremony was performed by a very nice rabbi from a temple in Manhasset, Long Island.
We wish them a liftime of happiness!

Future projects for Capriccio include:
Concerts this fall at various locations around Westchester County.
A recording of music by Piano and Violin, coming soon!

Many private events and weddings this month, August, and in September, October and November....highlights to be posted soon.
From all of us here..enjoy the rest of the summertime! Although hot, it's a great time for parties, swimming, and to enjoy lovely evenings without wearing a coat :)

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Recent Events and Wedding Performances

I hope you are having a wonderful summer!
We have been very busy with many different events, packaging and sending information for future concerts and wih our wedding performances.

Wedding Stand Outs: 6/26/10 at the Central Park Zoo!
While performing for the Bride, the Sea Lions swam and danced within our sight!

7/9/10 at the beautiful O Bryne Chapel at Reid Castle on grounds of Manhattanville College for a lovely (although warm inside with no AC!) ceremony followed by a cocktail hour at the Fountainhead of New Rochelle. Kristin and Dave were a beautiful couple and so nice and gracious. It was a pleasure to perform for them on their most special day! We performed their requests at the cocktail hour which included "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica and "Eleanor Rigby" by the Beatles. Their wedding Recessional was "Bittersweet Symphony".

7/10/10, The Tides Estate in N. Haledon, NJ. Although it was a rainy day, the warmth and all the love between Robert and Diana gave the effect of a sunny day. It was great being there! Their Recessional was the very opening strains of "Wedding March" flowing into "Bittersweet Symphony".

7/16/10, Lands End in Sayville, NY (Long Island south shore) for Leighann and Marlon. An absolutely stunning couple. Their ceremony was held outdoors very close to the ocean. The winds were picking up, the humidity was high, the sun was shining and the bride and groom were radiant.
We performed an all rock song ceremony for them including "All I Want is You" by U2 for their bridal Party, "Thank You" by Led Zeppelin for Leighann's entrance and their Recessoinal was "All You Need is Love" by the Beatles. At the cocktail hour we performed all of their requests which included:
"Just Like Heaven", the Cure, "Never Tear us Apart", INXS, "Paranoid", Black Sabbath, "Eleanor Rigby", the Beatles, "November Rain" by Guns n Roses, and "Bittersweet Symphony" by the Verve.

updates and recent events and wedddings ...coming soon.
On Sunday 7/18 we have 2 dfferent Trio's performing at 2 locations:
The Glen Island Harbour club, Trio of Violin, Flute, Cello for a Ceremony under the Tent and
also a Trio of all Strings, 1 Violin, 1 Viola, and Cello at Harbor Links Golf Club
for a cocktail hour reception, in Pt. Washington.
..we are looking forward to being a part of both events!

Thank you for reading our latest news :)

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Concert and Montauk

The concert performance was a great experience. Although a concert at 10 AM is not as customary as a concert at 1 PM or 7 or 8 PM we did our very bestand I was able to video the entire performance. Working on and performing the gorgeous and rarely played "Intermezzo" (featured in film of same title in the 1940's starring Ingrid Bergman and Leslie Howard) by Heinz Provost was a treat to play.

This past weekend I travelled out to Montauk NY for a beachside performance.
The staff of the venue, Gurney's Inn, is great. They are very professional and hospitable. The inn sets above the sea and the views are magnificent.
The performance was by just me as a Solo Violinist for a ceremony held at the beach. The music was a mix of soft romantic classical and contemporary songs old n new for the seating of the guests. The Processionals were "Air" from Watermusic (appropriate for the seaside setting!) and "Canon in D" by Pachelbel for the bride.
The Recessional was as in the home page of our website: Selection is...
"Ode to Joy" by Beethoven flowing into "All You Need is Love" by the Beatles. For exit pieces I also performed "Here Comes the Sun" and "When I'm 64".
The Bride and Groom were beautiful and looked very happy after the ceremony as they went onto the beach itself for more pics!
Afterwards I travelled out to Monatauk Pt. with my hubby who was travelling with me for the day and we enjoyed the area and the lighthouse and took some pretty photos out there. We then travelled up to Sag Harbor where I was able to do a little shopping and enjoy the pretty harbor itself.
All in all 6/5/10 was a beautiful day!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Concert June 1st 2010

On Tuesday June 1st 2010 at 10 AM there will be

a Concert-"Play Down" of the Westchester Musicians Guild.
The Concert will Feature Violinist Natalie Kriegler (Artistic Director
of the Capriccio Ensemble) and Pianist Chia-Li Sung.
Together they will perform the 1st movement of Sonata in F Major (1820) by
Felix Mendelssohn and "Intermezzo" by Provost.

The concert is being held at a private residence:
Address:
#2 Colonial Lane, Larchmont, NY 10538

Feel free to attend and bring a friend or guest. The program is open to everyone and there is no admission fee.

Street parking is available

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

New Review!

Sort: Recently Reviewed on the Wedding Channel/www.weddingchannel.com |
Rating: 5 stars


Wedding: 3/28/2010
Member Since: 2/27/2009

Beautiful! posted 5/13/2010
I used the ensemble for my March 28 wedding! They did a beautiful job...used a strings trio! They did both the ceremony and the cocktail hour. It was a beautiful start to our day and Natalie was wonderful to work with. Many were very impressed, with their professionalism and talent. I highly recommend them!!

Monday, May 3, 2010

This Weekend's Weddings and Our Up coming Events!

This coming Saturday Evening, May 8th 2010 a Duet of Violin and Cello will perform and share in the joy of the Wedding Ceremony of Caroline and Gregory.
The 2 lovely people met in their home country of Brussels and are both employed as Tax Attorney's for Deloitte Inc.
The Wedding will be held at "Rouge Tomate" a restaurant located at #10 E. 60th St. which specializes in Belgian cuisine!
We are looking forward to being a part of their very special day :)

On Sunday, Mother's Day, May 9th 2010 our String Trio will perform at the beautiful Oheka Castle in Huntington for the Wedding of Danielle and Michael.
Traditional music will be performed at the ceremony which will be held out in the
magnificent garden, weather permitting.
Selections they have chosen for the ceremony are mainly classical and traditional with a little touch of music from "The Muppets" as their Recessional selection: "The Rainbow Connection"!
They have requested mainly jazzy and contemporary songs for performance at the cocktial hour.
We are looking forward to performing for them on Sunday!

On Tuesday May 11th a Duet of Violin and Piano by
the Capriccio Ensemble will perform at a Bridal Show held aboard
"The Skyline Princess" at 1 World's Fair Marina. The Yacht will be docked (not setting sail!) and we will begin performing our music at 5:45 PM.
Doors to the main show and other vendors will open at 6 PM.
Admission is free.

On Friday Evening May 14th our String Trio will perform at Villa Barone Hilltop Manor for the Wedding Ceremony and Cocktail Hour of Jennifer Marie and Anthony.
I have been in touch with Jennifer Marie since January of 2009. She has been a doll to work with and we are all truly looking forward to performing at their wedding!
The selections they have chosen for the ceremony are an eclectic and romantic combination of songs and classical music.
As the guests arrive we are to perform all classical selections.
For the Seating Of Family we will perform "Through the Eyes of Love"/"Theme from Ice Castles" by Marvin Hamlish
For the Wedding Attendants and Flower Girl/Ring Bearer we will perform "Canon in D" by Pachelbel
For Jennifer's Entrance we are performing the traditional music, "Bridal Chorus" by Wagner ("Here Comes the Bride")
During the Ceremony for the Unity Candlelighting we are performing the opening of
"Bittersweet Symphony" by the Verve, as specially requested by Anthony!
For their Wedding Recessional Music they have selected "Thank You" by Led Zeppelin.
This is a song I arranged about 8 years ago for a bride and groom for whom we performed up at West Point Military Academy. I have always found it to be a beautiful and very romantic song.
For their cocktail hour they have requested all Sinatra, Italian songs, light jazzy songs, and contemporary songs.
I have no doubt that Jennifer Marie will be an absolutely stunning bride and again we are really looking forward to 5/14!

On Saturday May 15th we are privileged to be a part of the most special day of Karen and Bill which will be held at The Fountainhead of New Rochelle.
At 11 AM I will be there playing my violin at the door for the arrival of the guests.
Their ceremony will be held in the upstairs chapel.
I will be joined by a Pianist and we are going to perform, as per their request, the following beautiful selections:
1. "Canon in D" by Pachelbel for the Entrance of the Officiant, Groom and Best Man
2. "Hornpipe" from Watermusic by Handel for the entrance of the Bridesmaids, Flower Girl and Ring bearer
3. "Trumpet Voluntary" by Clarke for the Bride/for Karen's Entrance
4. "The Swan" by Saint Saens very close to the opening of the ceremony for a moment of calm and reflection
5. "Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring" for a Unity Candlelighting
6. "Wedding March" (traditional music) for the Recessional music.
At the cocktail hour we will perform mainly American standards/jazzy songs and showtunes with a few contemporary songs and Beatles songs mixed in.

Events for the Week of May 17th: Coming soon!