BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
The Huon Quartet (Elinor Lea, Rohana O’Malley, Douglas Coghill, Jane Tallon)
‘Transcendence’
String Quartet Op. 11 by Barber, String Quartet Op. 74 No. 10 in E flat by Beethoven
The Bahai Centre, 27 February 2015
One has expectations when going to see Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings. Famous for its use in cinema (think the death of main characters in Platoon) and funerals (think the death of two American presidents), it’s a fairly overplayed piece. Still, the Huon Quartet didn’t shy away from using it as inspiration for the title of their concert, Transcendence – and transcendent it most certainly was.
Barber’s String Quartet Op. 11 was performed in its entirety after a brief introduction from violinist Elinor Lea. The acoustics in the dome-shaped Bahai Centre were such that I could hardly hear her speaking voice, but when the instruments sounded, their presence was magnificent. I was sitting in the second row – but it’d be hard not to feel up-close-and-personal with the performers in the small setting. The more delicate and percussive textures of the strings were lost to the room – but the remaining richness and warmth suited the works well.
The first movement was exciting – but the Adagio was superb and selflessly performed. Each musician approached in a similar way that gut-wrenching melody we all know too well: conservative, understated, and restrained. They could have gone to extremes, but when the Huon Quartet wanted to shine, they did it together – not as musicians each with their own parts. The Molto allegro (come prima) followed after the shortest of breaks between movements, but the entire Barber was really a demonstration of true ensemble playing.
When the Beethoven began, the cellist could hardly contain her excitement – it was a good thing she had her instrument to hold her in her chair. This was a true delight to watch, and the fun continued with the near-comedy feel of the pizzicato sequences. The second movement was, once again, transcendent – interesting textures were formed when long notes were played with vibrato by some and not others.
The Presto; Piu presto quasi prestissimo featured Beethoven’s typical four-note-rhythm as found in his famous 5th (but this time, on steroids). After a big finish with the fourth movement, the musicians appeared pleased with what they’d achieved in the early hour of the evening – and rightfully so. I expect future performances of Mozart and Tchaikovsky will be a treat.
Image supplied.
