Perhaps it is no surprise that the Emerson String Quartet sold out the Capistrano concert hall Friday night &- they are kind of a big deal. And they have the statues to prove it.

The group, which has been playing classical music since 1976, has won nine Grammy awards over the span of its existence. To put that in perspective, that is two more than Simon & Garfunkel and just four fewer than The Beatles.

Sacramento State music student Jason Pano said when he and his peers have the opportunity to see such an influential act perform live, especially on campus, they are sure not to miss it.

“I have known about it since last semester,” Pano said. “They are quite a big name.”

At its Friday night show, the group started out with Mendelssohn’s “Quartet in E Flat Major” before heading directly into a piece by Austrian composer Alban Berg, “String Quartet Op. 3.” The latter had a menacing, unsettling sound, with the tones of the instruments not matching at some points. The musicians also plucked their strings abruptly to create a sound that seemed straight out of a Hollywood horror film.

Henry Giron, Sac State sociology and government major, said he liked Berg’s work because it told a story.

“It was like a dramatic scene (in) some sort of horrifying story that just happened,” he said.

The group played Claude Debussy’s “Quartet in G Minor.” Pano said this was the big payoff of the evening for him. A student of music composition, Pano said he finds the style fascinating and can apply it to his own studies. As Debussy’s only string quartet, the piece is “one of the major staples of the quartet repertoire.”

The piece is impressive technically, with a sort of fluttering sound mixed with sharp, staccato string plucking. Speeds also change frequently during this selection.

Pano said the Debussy piece lived up to his expectations.

“It was all that and a bag of chips,” he said enthusiastically.

Viola student Paul Sikes, though, said his favorite piece was the Mendelssohn. Debussy’s quartet is too hard to play, he said, but Mendelssohn’s is way more fun.

Sikes said only a composer would say Debussy’s piece is his favorite.

Whether you are a music student looking to gain perspective in your craft, or just someone who enjoys listening to classical music performed by one of the most decorated names in the business, the Emerson String Quartet is a cannot-miss opportunity.

Alex Grotewohl can be reached at [email protected]