The Sanctuary, Queen’s Cross Church
Monday 16th January 2023
NAVARRA QUARTET:
Emily Nebel First Violin
Emma Purslow Second Violin
Sascha Bota Viola
Brian O’Kane Cello
PROGRAMME:
Mozart (1756 – 1791)
Quartet in d minor K421
Szymanowski (1882 – 1937)
String Quartet No.1 Op.37
Brahms (1833 – 1897)
String Quartet in B flat Op.67
The fourth concert in our current season, and the first in a new year, was given by the Navarra String Quartet. They opened the year with an astoundingly brilliant performance of three remarkable works. In Mozart’s ‘Quartet in d minor K421’ they demonstrated something that ran throughout their entire performance. Something that was truly mind-altering in this first piece. It gave Mozart’s music a new and even modern sounding sense of unconquerable vitality. Each instrument rang out with a special individuality that really came through forcefully to the listener. Something that was achieved without any loss in perfectly balanced ensemble playing. This surely was string quartet writing and playing at its very finest.
The opening movement is marked Allegro and yet it had an undercurrent of composure which was emotionally powerful. Soon however the music blossomed into the brightness of full allegro with lightness and marvellous intricacy of detail. It was like a sombre landscape that was suddenly lit up with brilliant rays of sunshine. What refinement of playing with so many delicate little touches in bowing and meaningful contrast in dynamics.
The second movement, Andante, was tender and full of feeling, gentle and caressing but with sudden moments of excitement too.
The Menuetto balanced extrovert excitement against gentleness while the trio section was like a dance on tip-toe.
Dance was at the centre of the finale delivered with such powerful expressive playing. The rhythms within the variations were underlined by well thought out phrasing and in this movement, there was surely a sense of fun. Remember that Mozart was writing for Haydn.
In Karol Szymanowski’s three movement ‘String Quartet No.1 Op.37’, the first violin, played superbly by Emily Nebel in the opening movement, soared magnificently aloft supported by delicious string harmonies. Here was intensely passionate playing from all the members of the quartet. There were finely coloured harmonic changes and at one point, a viola solo stood out strongly. Exciting rhythmic drive came through as well.
The first violin’s melody opened the second movement but each instrument had its special moment too. Counterpoint was important and before the ending of the movement, the players created a gorgeous ethereal musical landscape.
The idea of counterpoint came even more to the fore in the final movement which had the feeling of open air and folksong about it. Such vehement playing with, I thought, a sense of good fun and jocularity.
The viola played so brilliantly by Sascha Bota had an important role throughout the ‘String Quartet in B flat’ by Brahms. The opening movement suggested horn calls in the forest but was there not an open air dance going on here? The viola and second violin were together at the heart of the festivities, a real whirlwind of a dance. The violin and viola duo enjoyed moments of loving peacefulness before the dance heated up once again.
The second movement, Andante, had a lovely first violin melody against seductive harmonies with the cello providing a warm bass as well as little titivating strokes of the bow.
It was in the third movement that the viola took a starring role and in that he was truly marvellous.
He also had an important role in one of the variations in the final movement. As in the Mozart that opened the concert, each instrument really sang out superbly in the various combinations that marked the wonderfully colourful variations. The conclusion was abrupt, surprising but absolutely delightful – a fantastic conclusion to a truly outstanding performance from beginning to end. The three works in the programme are great music but the four players of the Navarra Quartet made them sound better still, I thought. An enthusiastic ovation from Monday’s audience brought forth a soothing and delectable encore, ‘Da pacem Domine’ by Arvo Pärt.
ALAN COOPER