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The
Record Quartet,
pianist put on dream concert The Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Society's Music Room was the place to be on Wednesday. Filled to capacity, and buzzing with excitement, the venue hosted the Penderecki String Quartet (PQ). Along with pianist Francine Kay, the PQ performed what can be considered a dream program. Ideal for the listeners, at any rate. For the musicians (Jeremy Bell and Jerzy Kaplanek, violins; Christine Vlajk, viola; Paul Pulford, cello; Kay) tackling Schumann's Quintet in E-Flat, Op. 44 and following this with Brahm's Quintet in F Minor, Op. 34 is a formidable undertaking, and certainly not for the faint-hearted, as the PQ and Kay amply demonstrated. In short, the evening turned out to be among the finest of this musical season. Both works were played with crackling energy in keeping with the composers' intentions. Romantic to the hilt, Schumann's four-movement Quintet demands impeccable ensemble blend. A kaleidoscope of skillfully written sections which explore the expressive capabilities of the instrumentalists, Schumann's is a score to which later chamber music composers, including Brahms, looked for inspiration. Clearly, audience members turned out to hear the PQ. This foursome has earned a reputation of high acclaim over the past several years as artists-in-residence at Wilfrid Laurier University's faculty of music. Devotees were especially keen to hear Bell, in his first official performance with the PQ. Bell studied at the University of Toronto and State University of New York at Stonybrook, and replaces violinist Piotr Buczek. Bell was given the first violin part for the Schumann - a generous move on the part of the PQ personnel. Among the many reasons the PQ has managed to acquire their rich, unified sonority is that the so-called first and second violins regularly change roles, a rarity among string quartets. This gesture of trust and welcome was commendable, and while Bell's sound was crisp, and at times clipped, phrasings were refreshing. It will be interesting to see in future concerts how he adapts to the more sweet, mellow sound of his partners. Blend and tuning were more happily wed when Bell was second violin in the Brahms composition. Like Schumann, Brahms took commonplace musical fare (arpeggois, folksy melodic snippets, majestic fanfare motives, dovetailing sighs, thunder chords) and stretched the possibilities to the max. Yes, the boldness of the work is a thrill in itself; with Kaplanek and Kay in charge, it was spine tingling. If the element power of the lapel-grabbing sections was bracing, even more satisfying for listeners was the tenderness, the caressing shyness, of Brahm's second-movement Andante, un poco Adagio. Hesitant minor thirds built to a glorious harmonic exchange between the musicians, culminating in a movement which stands out among 19th century works as perhaps the most beautifully written, logical, intelligent aural testaments to dignity and passion. Violinist Kaplanek was the perfect model for the quartet. Kay, in the both, performed to the level of divine. Patrons came to hear the PQ, but they also resist Kay's leadership, focus, solid technical prowess, and sure control of the entire scores, page by page. Kay and the PQ, throughout personnel changes, always deliver. And
let's not forget the sheer professionalism and marvellous contributions
of Vlajk (who is another fairly recent addition to the PQ and who fits
into the quartet like she was always a member), and Pulford, with his
plummy sound and superb combination of lightness and strength. |
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