Midday Masterpieces (5/3/17)

Bordone Quartet
Daniel Cho, violin; Max Tan, violin; Jenni Seo, viola; Ari Evan, cello

Schubert – Quartettsatz in C minor, D. 703
Bartók – String Quartet No. 6, Sz. 114
Mendelssohn – String Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 44 No. 3 – III. Adagio non troppo

These four young Juilliard students played a very pleasant performance after a bit of a rocky start. The Schubert (and he was only twenty when he wrote it) was pretty and interesting, with built-in drama from, and by, rhythmic back and forth bowing, and was really quite tuneful at times. Of some interest to me was their seating in a curved arc, with the first violin stage right then cello, viola, and the second violin downstage left. They changed that order from time to time throughout the performance. In fact, after Mr. Tan spoke about the Bartók, which was composed during a very down time in his life in 1939, after his mother had recently died, the quartet moved into the usual formation—violin I, violin II, cello, and viola. It was the last piece Bartók composed in Europe but it received its premiere here in
New York City.

Surprisingly, the stringent, atonal, more modern Bartók score seemed to focus the players a little more. The first movement opened with solo viola, sad and mournful, followed by all four players in unison/octaves. Even with its atonal characteristics, it was not overly harsh and had a somewhat ethereal ending. The second movement began with a brief cello tune accompanied by the other three strings. It also had a sad feel to open with, then a rhythmic section that struck me as angry, or at least upset. Another section seemed to be crying out while still having a feeling of hope. The first violin opened the third movement, with second violin and cello accompaniment finally joined by the viola in one long line building and building, then fading away leading into a rhythmic, somewhat strident section. A dance-like section followed, but with very little joy. In fact, parts of the movement were tuneful while also sounding mournful. The last movement was filled with a sad intensity—a sense of aching—very emotionally moving. In rereading my notes, I think what Bartók wrote was his version of grief. At least that was my interpretation.

For the Mendelssohn, the first and second violinists switched (this often occurs in string quartets) and they went back to first violin, cello, viola, and second violin formation. I can’t say that I noticed much of a difference in sound but it may make a difference to them. My ‘back-in-the-day’ barbershop quartet sometimes shifted our positions from song to song because it made the most sense for that specific piece. Hey, you never know. This was a slow movement from a Mendelssohn quartet that was also a little bit mournful but with much more of a sense of hope. There were relatively straightforward harmonies plus a touch of a deep, lush sound. At times it wanted to be a German chorale but then blossomed in another direction. What a great experience for these four young musicians to experience the power, enjoyment, and challenge of playing in this one-of-a-kind, close-knit ensemble. It’s a humbling journey to be savored and explored.

ConcertMeister