Treske Quartet after their performance for NADSA Concerts with David Austin and Mary White representing Austins Department Store sponsor of the concert
The Treske Quartet promised a very interesting programme for last Sunday’s Nadsa concert: a piece by Andrew Norman, a living composer, a piece by Benjamin Britten, another by Beethoven and one by Purcell [but arranged by Britten]. Their mission to push musical boundaries was put into practice.
First we heard Beethoven’s Quartet No 10 in E flat Op 74 ‘the harp’. The familiar style of music was beautifully delivered from the tender entrance, through rich tones with vibrancy to breathtaking pianissimos, and the Presto was gusto with edge. This opening work was a delightful confidence building exercise; where these young musicians would lead, I would willingly follow.
And indeed the audience had been well prepared for the next piece. Robert Wheatley, cellist, had said that some of Beethoven’s works, in their time, were considered unplayable, so inferring we should be open to modern works.
Andrew Norman’s Peculiar Strokes did prove to be something completely different. Mercifully it was not greeted, like Schoenberg’s Vienna ‘scandal concert’ in 1913, with a riot; more the atmosphere was of fascination and intrigue. The series of short episodes are designed to illustrate different bow actions and their resulting sounds. As a non string player myself, I learnt a lot; but were the episodes works of art? For me, yes. That question is now seldom asked of Chopin’s Etudes.
Next we could wallow in the familiar musical landscape of Purcell’s Chacony in the key of G minor. We could still recognise the element of a stately dance in Britten’s arrangement for string quartet.
Abigail Hammett, violist, reminded us about links between Purcell and Britten. She told us how emotionally moved Britten had been by performing to concentration camp survivors with Yehudi Menuhin in July 1945. The work we were to hear, premiered in November 1945, adopted Purcell’s description ‘Chacony’ for the third movement – the very emotional heart of the piece.
Britten’s Quartet No 2 in C, Op 36 was not just a visceral experience, it was a chance for all members of the quartet to shine, and shine they did. I find it difficult to recall when I have been individually captivated by all four members of a quartet. Britten’s composition may have been responsible for the opportunity, but each individual performer can take credit for superb artistry. Conversely, particularly when playing in unison, the sound produced was unusually uniform. Is it just fanciful to suggest that all their instruments being made from the same tree is responsible? Wherever the causation is attributed, the effect was memorable
This concert was not only enjoyable but introduced us to novelty and at times taxed our emotions. Three cheers for Treske Quartet for giving us this opportunity to experience such works and performing them with such artistic conviction in Newton Abbot.
This concert was sponsored by Austins Department Store
NADSA Concert, Sunday 17th November 3.30pm at The Courtenay Centre, Newton Abbot.
JRC
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