Quartet impresses

Peoples Auckland HSBC Concert

The neo-classical Hopetoun Alpha was an ideal setting for the works of Mozart and Beethoven. The allegro from Mozart’s String Quartet in D minor was played in a way that emphasised the structural components of the work while the Beethoven La Malinconia was given a much more astringent approach, with some ferocious bowing by the group.

It played one section of the Alban Berg Lyric Suite which has an operatic dimension, being a musical interpretation of his infatuation and affair with his mistress.

The group played with attention to the interrelated themes, establishing a conversation with various emotions and encounters.

Schubert’s Death and the Maiden was played with a rawness and intensity that highlighted the anguish and fear of the work.

Wolf’s Italian Serenade captured the essence of Italian exuberance. The work is evidence of the composer’s delight in musical humour and tonal contrasts which the group ably demonstrated.

The final work, Smetena’s My Life, is full of fascinating thematic lines that continually intersect. The quartet provided passages of infinite stillness as well as turmoil and intensity.

The quartet played with a focused intensity, becoming a musical organism, with each member continually scanning their music and the other musicians, attentive to both the music and their performance.