Prague Quartet Appreciated

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31114, 18 July 1966, Page 12

Prague Quartet Appreciated

The Prague Quartet of the University of Canterbury, with Mr Maurice Till, played in the University Hall on Satday evening to a vociferously appreciative audience. Once again an evening’s complete enjoyment showed us our good fortune in having the Prague Quartet resident here this year. The programme opened with Schubert’s Quartet in E flat. Op. 125, No. 1. It began in a mood of quiet contentment moving with smooth melodic flow in warm tone of mellow timbre. It was friendly and enveloping playing, welcoming us all to Schubert’s richly stocked house of imagination. The second movement was a romp in high glee, and the slow movement was tenderly caressing, meditative and of relaxed confidence spreading gentle balm. Glinting humour and enjoyment of life in untroubled holiday mood came through the last movement; and if the work as a whole was not one of towering greatness, it was one which made friends with its hearers immediately. Then followed a String Quartet by Giri Pauer, a contemporary Czech composer, and at first hearing a new quartet can sometimes offer shocks. This one proved to be a moat interesting and deI lightful composition. It began in merry vein giving the impression of a fast ride round « mountain on a track with mary curves opening new and

changing vistas. The music was ebullient without being aggressive and it had a thoroughly healthy vigour brought out by very strong rhythmic treatment.

The andante opened in a mood of reminiscence with a tune from the cello and short comments from the others. The music was quietly persuasive but not lacking either strength or cohesive utterance, and closed with gentle dying fall. The last movement had a taut texture and clearly defined pattern, again offering no serious difficulties in understanding. The composer has produced a work of strong individuality which stems from harmony logically developed from music of the past It was as delightful as it was interesting. The programme ended with Cesar Franck’s Piano Quintet, played with superb balance between the piano and the strings, bringing out the deep mysticism of this towering work with heart-searching

beauty of time. The work unfolded with thematic metamorphosis in rounded fullness of beauty ranging from gentle musing to tempestuous fire. It was played with spiritual insight into Franck's meditative strength, and every small detail had a glowing polish. Mr Till’s tonal gradations and vita! timbres fully'matched those of the string players and a gloriously memorable performance was given. CF. B.