Memorable Playing By Julliard Quartet

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31087, 16 June 1966, Page 16

Memorable Playing By Julliard Quartet

The Julliard Quartet, Messrs Robert Mann, Earl Carlyss, Raphael Hillyer, and Claus Adam, began the concert for the Christchurch Chamber Music Society last evening with Beethoven’s Quartet in F major, Op. 18, No. 1, and played with suave polish and immaculate balance. For the most part, the tone in the first movement was quiet but it always had thrilling vitality and superb sheen. Phrasing and the many subtleties of colourful nuances were arrestingly beautiful, creating happy ease of mind. The darker tones in the adagio unfolded deeper emotion in ravishingi'y rich and lovely tone which sang with a bird’s natural freedom. Unanimous agreement about the right weight and the exact tonal colour in every phrase—and particularly in slow dramatic changing of chords—was miraculously enchanting. Fine touches of humour, and sheer enjoyment of the good things of life overflowed in the scherzo; and the finale sped on its course with invigorating joy and delight The String Quartet No. 2, by Alberto Ginastera, a South American composer, began with shattering clang of a native dance, wild barbaric, and highly percussive; more gentle—and soaring sounds, suggesting a strange landscape, followed for a few moments, and then wild dissonances chased one another with fierce abandon, with but short relief, through to the end of the movement It was all very exciting and, although frenzied tone was created, the balance between the instruments was always exact and the texture perfectly dear.

The slow movement was particularly attractive in its gently intriguing strains at the beginning. These soon led to a boiling cauldron of all the furies for a while. Softer music following had the impression of wonderment Certainly the instrumentation, particularly towards the end of the movement was extraordinarily effective. More and greater surprises were quickly unfolded in the opening of the presto magico movement which had eerie effect suggesting will-o’-the-wisps—and the noises of strange little creatures—welldisposed '■ withal darting about in entrancing fashion. This was one of the most astonishing movements heard here in a string quartet Loneliness and strange questing marked the beginning of the next movement which led to strong cadenzalike passages from the various instruments, beginning with the ’cello. The music was strangely improvisational in character. The last movement was entitled “Furioso” and, in view of much that had gone before, it was hard to see just what mere the word could conjure up. We soon found out. AH heli was

let loose—and It was quite disturbing—like putting one’s hand into the middle of a cat fight.

The Debussy Quartet opened with mellifluous flow with a plenitude of lovely shadings all coming with amazing command of balance. Glorious timbres were created with vigorous vitality —and it all soared and dipped with marvellous freedom. The scherzo swept along with magical elan and perfect precision in unforgettably breath-taking playing. There was a glowing patina on the sound in the slow movement in which the playing seemed to come from rarefied peaks of refinement. The last movement was introduced in serene calm. Although no great volume of sound was demanded it was wonderful how, from quiet exposition, the playing built up a piling of tensions. The grand playing of the Julliard Quartet will long be remembered. —C.F.B.