Monday evening, the 16th, found me at the Austrian Cultural Forum again for “cutting-edge European culture brought to NYC.” I may just have to accept that “cutting-edge” is not for me.
The players: Yun-Peng Zhao (violin I), Guillaume Latour (violin II), Franck Chevalier (viola), and Pierre Morlet (violoncello). Made up of former Paris and Lyon Conservatory graduates, the quartet is based in Paris.
The program: Bruchstück IX (2010), Christian Ofenbauer (?–); Liquid Crystals (2011), Arturo Fuentes (1975–); and Quartet No. 2 (1968), György Ligeti (1923–2006). You can pretty much make up your own idea of what those titles mean to you because they seemed to have very little meaning to what I could get from the music. We’re talking more non-tonal than atonal. I mean, who’d’a thunk I would ever leave a concert saying, “Hmmm, Meister, the Ligeti was the most interesting piece on the program!”
The descriptions: The Ofenbauer was mostly rhythmic scratching, then a bit of actual bowing, plus some pizzicato plucks. But mostly scratching. In tune? I couldn’t tell you.
The Fuentes included rubbing the strings as well as bowing/scratching. I actually jotted down “Flight of the Stoned Bumblebees,” who finally straightened up and flew right. A few times when all four members were playing something vaguely similar, it sort of made sense. Emphasis on few and vague. Sort of.
The Ligeti seemed to be three movements (though nothing so mundane as movement names or listings were used). Movements(?) two and three involved muted strings, while movement three(?) opened with pizzicato sounds leading to bowed and pizzicato. At least the four players were more of an ensemble in this work and there were dynamic, tempo, and style variations. I still didn’t get much meaning out of it, though.
I think I may have to re-think cutting-edge musical culture.
ConcertMeister
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