Benthien String Quartet Gives Return Concert

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30145, 31 May 1963, Page 13

Benthien String Quartet Gives Return Concert

Fht Benthien String Quarte' gave a return concert under the direction of the Christchurch Chamber Music Society in the Civic Theatre last evening The carefullydrilled precision, the broadlyflowing tone so vividly enlivened by multi-coloured nuances and the discerning musicianship shown in every feature of the quartet’s work again delighted the very large audience

The programme began with a Quartet in G minor by Berwald a nineteen th-century Swedish composer The firs) mo emenl was neatly contrived music of a happy pastoral quality showing freshness of melodic invention More erudition was shown in the charming set of variations which made up the second movement These were played with mellow tone. with splendid balance and with sensitive feeling for atmosphere The scherzo was played with dramatic force in the first section and with romantic flow in the contrasting section. The las' movement had dramatic drive and richness of texture and developed into a fugue of bubbling g'od humour with a surprisingly calm and soft ending Hindemith's Quartet in E fiait major. No 5, began quietly with melodic imitations passed round the mot rumen’s Stress and emotional tensity came in the second leetion. which was played .at a very fast speed with aeton ahing clarity A grand set of variations. very subtle in quickly - changing atmospheres, produced playing that

was a tour de fores Of at«d colourful staffing quartet has a poised t and was played with p finesse and agility.

Then came the sheer joy of a wonderful performance of Beethoven’s Quartet in C sharp minor On. 131 The unruffled serenity of the first section was conveyed in superbly-controlled playing It would be hard to imagine a finer degree of unanimity titan was shown by these players in this incomparable work, the texture of which is »uch that any slight uncertainty of purpose would be mercilessly exposed In this composi tion philosoph i c a 1 speculation is carried to a rarefied height but it is not separated from human aspirations. and these two aspects of the work were welded together in this performance m masterly and deeply-stirring fashion