Prague Quartet In Czech Programme

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31168, 19 September 1966, Page 18

Prague Quartet In Czech Programme

The Prague Quartet of the University of Canterbury, Messrs Bretislav Novotny, Karel Pribyl, Jaroslav Karlovsky, and Zdenek Konicek, gave the last of their subscription concerts in the University Hall on Saturday evening. It was appropriate that they should play a programme of Czechoslovakian music—the Dvorak Quartet in E flat, a work by the contemporary composer, Vladimir Sommer, and Smetana’s Quartet No. 1 in E minor.

By employing the Prague Quartet in the University School of Music for this year, the University of Canterbury has done the city an incalculable service. We have had a series of concerts, including all the Beethoven String Quartets, played with consummate artistry; the teaching given to students has been of the highest order and its effects will last them their lifetime; and through hearing a lot of Czechoslovakian music, and through associating with four very fine people, many of us here in Christchurch cannot fail to have an enduringly new and broader regard and respect for that country and its people. We can hope that the members of the Prague Quartet, in their travels throughout the world will remember us too, and speak kindly of their stay in New Zealand.

The Dvorak Quartet spoke of a pleasant land and began with an idyllic little theme rather - like a folk-song. The playing had a warm and gentle flow, rather naive in character, and just occasionally increasing in fervour but maintaining a carefree and good humoured atmosphere. There was a delightfully mellow timbre throughout the work. The second movement is a Dumka—a national dance—and began slowly and softly in beguiling fashion, 1 suggesting pastoral simplicity, breaking into a lively country dance spreading unsophisticated joy, and then returning to the soft autumnal colouring of the beginning of the movement. The Romance spoke of“ ripening harvest with the warmth of the ,sun reflected from a protecting wall, spreading somnolent well-being. Unrestrained high spirits sparkled in the last movement which was interpreted in complete rapport with its romantic fervour.

In listening to this lovely music one could not but reflect how tragic it was that the nations of the world were not able to give Czechoslovakia adequate support in the day of its agony. Vladimir Sommer’s String Quartet was first introduced by the Prague Quartet in 1955. It is music of a more intense and troubled spirit

than the Dvorak, but the underlying inspiration showed considerable affinity with the romanticism of the earlier work. Possibly the composer felt that modernity should not allow this, but, in spite of it all, tunes kept continually breaking through. There was a close texture in the writing and interesting use of fairly non-aggressive dissonance. In development, Dvorak seemed to explore more widely than Sommer does. The second movement began with a poignant melody olayed with great feeling by the viola. It built up with agitated strength in exciting crescendo from all the instruments. It was music Of a wistful heart, and was full of tender nuances and lonesome searching. The last movement began with a fierce challenge to clear the way. Urgency was created by considerable use of repeated notes and repeated chords at high speed, but it ended with quiet resignation in keeping with the prevailing spirit of the work.

The Smetana Quartet was deeply personal and was inspired by important events in the composer’s life. It is vividly dramatic music, deeply moving in its sincere appeal. It ranges from deep brooding, and lyrical serenity, to impassioned fire. The second movement was interesting, for, like the Dvorak work, it told of the joys of the dance. However, whereas Dvorak gave us the simnle Pleasures of the countryside, this movement was more urbane. with the suggestion that the dance hall was close to the boulevards. The third movement was a love song of exquisite tenderness, played with passion and hauntingly beautiful tone long to be remembered among so many beautiful things the Premie Quartet has given us. The last movement was the most dramatic of all. and started with exuberance which set the feet a-tapping. But this was interrupted bv a piercing high note heralding the composer’s tragedy of deafness and the movement ended with the poignancy with which the whole work began. It was deeply affecting and was interpreted with astonishing and poised skill. The Prague Quartet will end the Beethoven series with concerts next Sunday and on the following Sunday, and will be playing with the Civic Orchesrta on Wednesday evening. —C.F.B