New Zealand String Quartet

The New Zealand String Quartet captivates the audience in an extraordinary way.

Hueckelhoven.   A unique and wonderful concert by the New Zealand String Quartet was organised by the Heinsberg District Anton-Heinen-Volkshochschule (Adult Education Centre), in association with the Hueckelhoven Friends of Chamber Music “con brio”.

Around the world

The huge crowd in the Hueckelhoven Great Hall was captivated from the very first note in an extraordinary way. What Helene Pohl (violin), Douglas Beilman (violin), Gillian Ansell (viola) and Rolf Gjelsten (cello) had to offer, was of the finest quality. No wonder they travel the whole world, using their music to spirit audiences (away) into the soul of an artist.

The concert was a tonal experience of singular depth. The four virtuosos from New Zealand began with Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy’s “Capriccio” in E Minor from Opus 81. This composer from an artistic and educated family showed that intellectualism can be a very moving experience. This short work from 1843 is clear evidence that poetry is always a product of great passion, apart from anything else. The piece climaxes, with good reason, in a dynamic fugue.

“Kartsigar”, by young New Zealand composer John Psathas (b. 1966) was a typically deconstructed piece. A seemingly traditional, epic song is used in this work to highlight the Greek roots of the composer’s forebears. The Hellenic soul with all its dynamism is finely portrayed with experimental tones that, like velvet gloves repeatedly touch on conventional associations.

Heartbeat of an explorer

The constant plucking of a string, known as ostinato, used for constant repetition of a motif, seemed to suggest that a surprising change could be interspersed or plucked in at any time. The ostinato was like the heartbeat of an explorer – incredibly moving, sometimes even alarming.

With Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975), the “New Zealand String Quartet” delved equally expressively into the Russian soul. His String Quartet No. 11 in F Minor from Opus 22 demonstrates the tendency of the Russian soul towards melancholic excess. The Scherzo, which is usually played in 3/4 time was composed by Shostakovich in 2/4 time and – as was conveyed beautifully conveyed by the quartet – with a real grimace. Whether he did it out of rage or to amuse himself we will never know. Whatever his motives, the quartet allowed the biting irony and hide-and-seek game of Shostakovich to really come to the fore.

The final piece of this unique, philosophical concert brought the German soul to life through the music of Franz Schubert (1797-1828). Suffering from mood swings possibly brought on by an undiagnosed diabetic condition, Schubert attempts to defy his fate here with some rather light and airy sounds.

Stirring Scherzo

It becomes quite clear in the process that his art was the only way for him to lead a half-way decent life. His Scherzo Allegro vivace was every bit as moving as the entire concert.

After each piece, the audience was so impressed by what they had heard that their applause came gradually, as a delayed reaction.

(vanhen)