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Masters Handled with Care
TOKYO String Quartet's fifth national tour with Musica Viva features works by four classical and romantic masters: Haydn, Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Brahms. With such works, the modern quartet faces the challenge of realising historically distant stylistic subtleties while retaining relevance and vitality.
On these terms, the uncomplicated rendition of Haydn's String Quartet in D, Op. 76 No.5 was masterful. Few modern ensembles demonstrate the restraint and refinement required by Haydn. What made this performance so remarkable was the absence of distraction. The introspective second movement was treated with sensitive phrasing, delicate articulation and a broad timbral palette, without becoming soppy.
The minuet, often handled with disinterest, was realised with loving care, every note elegantly placed and given meaning. The sprightly finale never felt rushed or overstated; a light touch and intelligent use of dynamics ensured both levity and interest.
Brahms's String Quartet in B flat, Op. 67 was approached with similar interpretative modesty and idiomatic expression. The ensemble consistently demonstrates wonderfully sustained bow contact; this was paired with a well-balanced, perfectly matched and luxurious sound few groups have so far achieved at the Melbourne Recital Centre. A warm, emotional reading with tight ensemble and considered tempos, this was a near faultless performance.
Adding a more contemporary flavour, the latest revision of Carl Vine's String Quartet No. 5 (2007) was given its premiere. Now consisting of six sections, this single-movement work is elegantly crafted, fluidly transitioning between diverse musical ideas.
As the composer acknowledges, the content is not avant-garde, sharing stylistic features with music from the first half of last century. Indeed, it is almost a homage to the era; echoes of Berg, Shostakovich and Ravel abound, and the final section features a spry dance that could be a rodeo companion piece to Copland's Billy the Kid.
The ensemble acknowledged this mix of styles and historical
references, nimbly evoking each idiom while endowing the whole with great musicality. Musical integrity, rather than theatricality, lies at the heart of the Tokyo String Quartet's approach and it is more than worthy of its status as one of the world's great quartets.
On these terms, the uncomplicated rendition of Haydn's String Quartet in D, Op. 76 No.5 was masterful. Few modern ensembles demonstrate the restraint and refinement required by Haydn. What made this performance so remarkable was the absence of distraction. The introspective second movement was treated with sensitive phrasing, delicate articulation and a broad timbral palette, without becoming soppy.
The minuet, often handled with disinterest, was realised with loving care, every note elegantly placed and given meaning. The sprightly finale never felt rushed or overstated; a light touch and intelligent use of dynamics ensured both levity and interest.
Brahms's String Quartet in B flat, Op. 67 was approached with similar interpretative modesty and idiomatic expression. The ensemble consistently demonstrates wonderfully sustained bow contact; this was paired with a well-balanced, perfectly matched and luxurious sound few groups have so far achieved at the Melbourne Recital Centre. A warm, emotional reading with tight ensemble and considered tempos, this was a near faultless performance.
Adding a more contemporary flavour, the latest revision of Carl Vine's String Quartet No. 5 (2007) was given its premiere. Now consisting of six sections, this single-movement work is elegantly crafted, fluidly transitioning between diverse musical ideas.
As the composer acknowledges, the content is not avant-garde, sharing stylistic features with music from the first half of last century. Indeed, it is almost a homage to the era; echoes of Berg, Shostakovich and Ravel abound, and the final section features a spry dance that could be a rodeo companion piece to Copland's Billy the Kid.
The ensemble acknowledged this mix of styles and historical
references, nimbly evoking each idiom while endowing the whole with great musicality. Musical integrity, rather than theatricality, lies at the heart of the Tokyo String Quartet's approach and it is more than worthy of its status as one of the world's great quartets.
— Eamonn Kelly,
The Australian
