Quartetto Testosterone (4/17/18)

Sondre Fjose Sandberg, violin; Daniel Lyngstad, violin; Jakob Dingstad, viola; Sverre Barratt-Due, cello

String Quartet No. 2 in F Major – Sostenuto – Allegro vivace e grazioso; Allegro scherzando –Più vivo – Edvard Grieg
“er også me borne / are also we carried” – Magnar Åm
String Quartet No. 1 in G Minor – Un poco andante – Allegro molto ed agitato; Andantino – Allegro agitato; Allegro molto marcato – Più vivo e scherzando; Lento – Presto al saltarello – Grieg

Really? Testosterone? After intermission, the violist addressed the group’s name. They are celebrating their tenth year, and as he told us, “We were very young.” Apparently there were many string players in Norway at the time but they were mostly female. “We guys had to stick together.” And since the rage at that time was to coin Italianate names, they chose (remember, they were very young) Testosterone. Now on to the music.

The first work on the program was two movements only because that’s all Grieg had completed at the time of his death. He’d been working on it for many years, but just never found the time and gumption to finish it. It opened with rich, Romantic sounds and had a great mix of tunes, chords, and pizzicato playing, and was wonderfully easy to listen to. I heard hints of Dvořák and Tchaikovsky, but it was defintely Grieg’s own voice. I loved the way ideas and phrases were tossed back and forth between the players. After a bit of retuning, the second movement was lightly rollicking and somewhat playful. There was a very folk-song-like section, including what seemed like fiddle tunes and dances, and the piece had strong, folk dance rhythms. I wish he had completed it. The two movements, though, were great to hear.

Magnar Åm’s piece was quiet, not quite calm, mood music with dissonant harmonies. Not severely so, and sort of new age-y. It was effective if a little iffy, more of a wash of sound than a clear, complete arc.

The first movement of the G minor quartet was full, dark, and contained rapid rhythms, dramatic without going overboard, and had an interesting mix of both grand gestures and smaller ones. The second movement was slower and lyrical to begin with and then had a tuneful song that was passed from instrument to instrument. A quick section with a folk/gypsy feel followed that also included a little waltz variation. The third was quicker and, surprisingly, a little darker—more thoughtful than pensive. There was a mix of heft and a light touch in a folk tune that was introduced, with each player getting a shot at the tune. The fourth movement, also folk oriented, was quite brisk after a subdued opening. Even when it was brisk it also had hints of darkness. There was a lot going on, almost as though it was trying to be too many things at one time, although they were all interesting. All in all, it was a solid piece that was very enjoyable to hear, played quite well by this group.

The venue was one I have been to at least once before—Victor Borge Hall at Scandinavia House, located at Park Avenue and 38th Street. It’s a nice place that includes gallery space and hosts other (non-free) events. There is also a restaurant on the ground level.

ConcertMeister