Brighton Festival 2008, Haydn, Webern and Beethoven: (Brighton Festival) Tokyo String Quartet. Glyndebourne Opera House 4.5.2008 (MMB)

Haydn – String Quartet in D major Op. 50 no. 6 (1787)
Webern – String Quartet Op. 28 (1936-38), Rondo (1906)
Beethoven – String Quartet in C sharp minor Op. 131 (1826)

A critic from the Washington Post once wrote: ‘If the Tokyo String Quartet isn’t the world’s greatest chamber music ensemble, it’s hard to imagine which group is.’ These words describe exactly what I thought at the end of their concert in Glyndebourne, which was part of the Brighton Festival, taking place during the whole month of May.

The Tokyo String Quartet was established in 1969 and performs on the famous “Paganini Quartet”, a group of Stradivarius instruments acquired and played by the celebrated Niccolò Paganini in the 19^th century. The “Tokyos” are: Martin Beaver (first violin), Kiduei Ikeda (second violin), Clive Greensmith (cello) and the only artist  remaining from the quartet’s original membership, Kazuhide Isomura who plays the viola.

The afternoon started with one of Haydn’s masterful Op. 50String Quartets, No 6 in D major. This four movement work piece begins with an E natural on the first violin even though the piece is in the key of D major. This is followed by a rapid scale fragment, which introduces a cadence in the home key, occurring with the entrance of the other three instruments. This was perfectly played by  first violin Martin Beaver,  and the timing, tempo and harmony of the “Tokyos” were at once obvious as the remaining players made their entrances. The first movement Allegro, was delivered with precision and with an injection of energy, which immediately gave the audience a sense of joy. In the second movement, Poco Adagio, the lyrical, expressive line of the music was beautifully performed by the four members, with their usual  crystal clear sound emerging from all four instruments. The third movement, a minuet, was played with such expression that one could easily imagine a group of people in an 18^th century home, dancing around the musicians. The fourth and final movement, famous for its distinctive “croaking” sounds, was delivered with immaculate precision  as well as with wit and humour. Haydn took care that all four instruments had equal importance throughout these quartets, a little strange perhaps bearing in mind that these pieces were dedicated to the King of Prussia, Friedrich Wilhelm II who played the cello. This equality is perfect for an ensemble like the Tokyo String Quartet. Their musical interactions, their obvious joy in playing together and their perfect understanding of each other’s virtuosity make any composition feel naturally liquid, flowing from the instruments in a manner that only a group with a strong sense of camaraderie is able to achieve. This feeling of warmth was clear during the whole concert but particularly in the Haydn piece, which received enthusiastic applause from the audience.

Anton Webern’s String Quartet Op. 28 and Rondo were  next. While Webern's  music can be taxing for the listener,  the Tokyo String Quartet’s performance was so superb that many in the audience enjoyed it almost as much as the Haydn. Their rendition of the  Quartet Op. 28  achieved a flawless  balance between the technical demands of the piece, of which there are many, and  fluid, beautiful phrasing particularly in the third and last movement, Sehr fliessend. Such  liquidity of course is what the composer wanted, which is obvious from the way he marked the movement, but to understand that  is one thing and to achieve it is a  different matter.  The “Tokyos” not only achieved it, they did it with brilliance.

Webern's  Rondo  was written while the composer was studying with Schoenberg whose his influence is noticeable in the style of the writing. The unusual aspect of this piece  is that the viola, and not the first violin, takes centre stage. There is an extensive use of pizzicato on all four instruments  and the fragmented tones from the rondo theme deliberately interfere with the occasional warm melody. The Tokyo Quartet’s performance was persuasive and clearly demonstrated their expressive flexibility.

After the interval, the second part of the concert was devoted to Beethoven’s unusual and marvellous String Quartet in C sharp minor Op. 131. This quartet was one of three composed to meet a commission from Prince Nikolai Golitzin, an artistic patron in St Petersburg and a great admirer of Beethoven’s music. This is a massive work, formed of seven movements and the only     quartet by Beethoven which runs uninterruptedly without a pause. The first movement begins with a fugue, marked Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo, sombre in mood but tender at the same time. Towards its end the music fades to lead directly into an Allegro molto vivace, which would have been a more conventional first movement. The Tokyo String Quartet demonstrated their finesse and beautiful intonation yet again,  their superb musicianship giving the work an extraordinary character right from the start. The third movement, Allegro moderato, is quite short and actually serves as an interlude to the long, slow fourth movement, Andante ma non troppo e molto cantabile, which is complex and profound, consisting of one theme and six variations. The “Tokyos” developed this part of the quartet with the required depth but also with  great sobriety and a sense of composure that deservedly highlighted this fourth movement as the most remarkable of the whole piece. Their instruments  sang during this movement, expressing a clear, poetic line which was both moving and virtuosic. The fifth movement, Presto, was played in a lively, joyous manner, brimming with energy and humour, expressing  its scherzo like character well. The movement finishes abruptly giving way to a brief  Adagio, quasi un poco andante, an interlude to the final, dramatic Allegro. The performance was vivid and colourful, showing the quartet’s intimacy with the score, their sense of rhythm and their intense musicality, all perfectly measured and integrated in an unforgettable interpretation with great impact. This was deservedly greeted with an electrifying roar of admiration by the audience. Undoubtedly, one of the best performances of Beethoven’s quartet that I have ever heard.

Watching and listening to the Tokyo String Quartet play was a fabulous way of spending Sunday afternoon, in which perhaps the only flaw was the fact that there was no encore. The organisers of the Brighton Festival should be congratulated not only for engaging this superb ensemble but also for having had the brilliant idea of choosing the Glyndebourne Opera House as the venue. With its sober, warm, light-coloured wood covered auditorium, the setting did full justice to the Tokyo String Quartet’s outstanding musicianship.

Margarida Mota-Bull

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