Brodsky Quartet – Auckland Town Hall March 19, 2015

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Looking to foray into modern classical? Your search is over. Or perhaps your search has just begun. Welcome to Bela Bartok. And moreover, welcome to The Brodsky Quartet playing Bartok. The string to your bow is that it’s also the outstanding String Quartet No. 5. So settle back into the acoustically appropriate but rather makeshift surrounds of the Concert Chamber at Auckland’s Town Hall,  and enjoy.

Ironically, Bartok forged paths into 20th century classical by delving further back into the folk music traditions of his native land, Hungary. Whether he’s a traditional modernist or a modern traditionalist, he entered into new and exciting territory with The String Quartet No. 5, a piece full of rhythmic lyricism, texture and balance – yet full of contrast, from ‘night music’,  to moments of stasis and then to ambient sound.

The Brodsky Quartet give an agile and nuanced performance. Their infectious energy ,and passion for their art , are a heady mix especially when distilled into the intimate space of chamber music. They are breathtaking to watch. Literally. I felt as if many in the audience instinctively breathed ,or held their breath , along with the metaphorical breathing or pausing of the musical direction.

In the case of the encore, (Shostakovich’s Polka from The Golden Age) their enthusiasm spilled over into giggles and chuckles. Daniel Rowland on first violin was expressive and engaging to watch. But it was the synergy of the group -which included second violinist Ian Belton, Viola player Paul Cassidy and Cellist Jacqueline Thomas – which gave the impression that the whole was greater than the sum of it’s already great parts. Oh to be able to play complex, challenging music and make it appear effortless and fun.

The evening started with Metro by Javier Alvarez, a piece composed for the Quartet. Its lively  insistent rhythms whet our appetites for what was to come, which was Reflejos De La Noche by fellow Mexican composer Mario Lavista . This was the dusk before the night in musical terms. No dusk, especially at the end of a New Zealand summer, would be complete without its insects , and in this piece, which was played entirely with harmonics – no true notes-  the juxtaposition between eerie long ,and darting short , sounds made me instinctively itch.

We seamlessly transitioned to the nocturnal soundscape of Bartok’s String Quartet No. 5, the vigorously maniacal Allegro making me wonder whether this particular Hungarian night had a full moon. From there the String Quartet, which traditionally has four movements but in this case had  five, alternates between moments of reflective melancholy, with sublime and haunting stillness , to darker, more frantic states . By the finale , it seemed that an apparently innocuous folk melody had contorted into a ghoulish dance.

The Brodsky Quartet could make the ghoulish a delight and the delightful,  haunting.  Their joyful performance added a classical edge to the Auckland Arts Festival and deserves the support of those who would like to see a group described by Time Out UK as ” ever fresh ( and ) agelessly hip” . The language of their sound encapsulates a wonderful depth of expression.

The Brodsky Quartet will return to Auckland post-Festival,  on Wednesday 1 April at the Town Hall at 7.30. I strongly recommend you see them then.

– Kylie Payman

 

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