United Kingdom Various: Danish String Quartet (Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen, Frederik Øland Olsen[violins], Asbørn Nørgaard [viola], Fredrik Schøyen Sjölin [cello]). Wigmore Hall, London, 17.2.2023. (CSa)
Haydn – String Quartet, Op.20, No.3
Shostakovich – String Quartet No.7
Britten – Three Divertimenti
Nordic Folk Tunes (arr. Danish String Quartet)
‘There is no theme in this concert. We are against the mainstream of classical programming.’ declared Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen, one of many two Danish Quartet’s violinists, earlier than including that each one the featured works have been ‘full of surprises.’ That mentioned, the group’s choice to mix the distinctly totally different voices of Haydn, Shostakovich, and Britten, within the first half of their live performance, with a stunning collection of people music within the second, was insightful, clever, and made for a cohesive and refreshingly unique night of music-making. Some 14 years have handed for the reason that group of tousle-haired, bearded instrumentalists took First Prize within the Wigmore Hall’s annual eleventh London International String Quartet Competition. Since then, it has established itself as one of the crucial distinctive worldwide ensembles taking part in at this time. Impeccable, extremely disciplined and dynamic musicianship include a relaxed, platform presence which communicates to audiences of all ages the enjoyment, pleasure, disappointment and humour of chamber music.
The Danes marked their return to the corridor with a recital of Haydn’s all-too-rarely carried out String Quartet in G minor Op.20, No.3, a piece which represented the 40-year-old composer at his most exuberant. Written in 1772, Haydn was main a secluded existence in Hungary as Kapellmeister to Count Nikolaus Esterhásy. ‘No one was nearby who could distract or confuse me about myself’, the composer recalled. ‘In that way, I became original.’ As it turned out, Opus 20 in G was one among a collection of six quartets whose ground-breaking originality earned Haydn the nickname ‘Father of the String Quartet’. The high-spirited opening Allegro, with its startling damaged rhythms, dramatic pauses, and playful pizzicato have been incisively performed, whereas the wistful Minuet displayed the Quartet’s beautiful richness of tone. After a poignant account of the third motion, an Adagio of hymn-like solemnity and surging emotion, cheery good humour was deftly restored within the roistering, helter-skelter Finale.
There was a stark distinction of temper, tone and texture and virtually a century between Haydn’s mischievous revelry and the tentative, desolate and occasional brutal sound world of Shostakovich’s String Quartet No.7. Yet each works oscillate unnervingly between fierce ardour and playfulness. So, whereas Shostakovich’s quartet yielded up a really totally different set of surprises from these supplied by Haydn’s, the choice to pair the 2 in the identical programme was each logical and illuminating, and the transition from one to the opposite proved seamless.
The Shostakovich quartet marked the loss of life, in 1960, of his first spouse Nina, to whom it was devoted. It is amongst the composer’s shortest chamber works. Its three intently knit actions final little greater than 12 minutes. A timorous, virtually diffident Allegretto results in a ghostly gradual motion, brilliantly targeted on this efficiency, through which the gamers have been not often required to play in unison. The third motion, a frenzied fugue performed with distinctive vigour, was adopted by a curious lilting waltz-like fragment of reminiscence, Nina’s ghost maybe.
Shostakovich’s good buddy and admirer, Benjamin Britten got here subsequent. Exhilarating and kooky, Britten’s Divertimenti for string quartet, with its spiky, irregular opening March, sunny and seemingly untroubled Waltz, and ecstatic Burlesque, have been performed with nice class and finesse, and made a coherent selection with which to finish the primary half of the live performance. It additionally supplied the suitable segue into the second half, billed merely as ‘A selection of folk music’, through which the quartet’s Danish homeland, Sweden, Scotland and Ireland have been all represented. The geographically broad choice additionally demonstrated the deep connection between people tunes and the classical custom. Sweet, melodious and mystical ballads have been punctuated by catchy jigs making the will to bop and clap virtually irrepressible. Included on this treasure trove of surprises was an providing from the Faroe Islands – a magical account of Regin, the Blacksmith – adopted by a jaunty whistling rendition of As I Walked Out. The darkish and mysterious Norwegian lullaby Nör Mitt Øy contrasted fantastically with the group’s association of Marie Louise, based mostly on a collection of English dances common in Scandinavia. The encore was a heartfelt serenade, Elvis Presley’s ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’. Its sentiment was clearly reciprocated by the stunned and wildly cheering viewers.
Chris Sallon