Large audience for Camerata Quartet

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33445, 29 January 1974, Page 11

Large audience for Camerata Quartet

There was an encouragingly large audience for the first public recital of the Camerata Quartet given in the University Hall on Saturday evening. It was a recital which would have dejighted with its very high standard of performance, if given by a visiting professional group for the Chamber Music Society. Further recitals by these people will be awaited eagerly. The programme began with Mozart’s Piano Quartet in G minor, K. 478, played by Marjorie Sutton, violin, Elizabeth Rogers, viola, Frances de Goldi, ’cello, and Rosemary Miller Stott, piano. This quartet is one of those chamber works of Mozart which seem to be almost piano concerti, and the piano part carried a large part of the interest. It was played by Mrs Stott with delightful rippling runs of matched sounds as evenly graded as pearls in a quality string. The string players gave us singing tone of warm and rounded quality, and with excellent intonation.

Each instrument sang its part with poised and shapely phrasing, and with excellent balance of interesting timbres. Just for a moment near the beginning there was slight unsteadiness and hurrying, but from then on there was excellent unanimity. The second movement had gracious flow of lovely melody in reflective mood. The balanced grading in the string parts in crescendi passages was excellent. The Rondo had the happiest of atmospheres, with lovely string parts, humorous, and making telling points with confidence and urbane charm. The piano rippled like freshets of a mountain stream and gave a charming and refreshing story of great happiness. The playing was thoroughly stylish all the wav.

The second work was the Brahms Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34. Paulene Smith joined the other string players. The first movement sang in soaring fashion of contentment and appreciation of good and pleasant things, full of promise of happy fulfilment. The ensemble had excellent balance and vitality. Strong and full sounds were created with robust richness, never losing beautiful quality of tone. The music was unfolded confidently, full of fruitfulness and largesse, and was played with sensitive understanding and technical expertise in balance and tonal resources. It was eminently satisfying playing, which drew to a charming ending. In the Scherzo there was resounding spirit and strength, and the playing had complete sway over the audience, rousing exciting feelings of joy in multi-coloured panoply. The last movement began with introspective searching for a few moments and then flew along with vigour and concerted strength. There was brilliant dash in the playing, with contrasted passages of gentle lyricism. Grand sweeps of sound came forth with flashing strength and there was a furore of applause given to these splendid players at the end of the concert. —C.F.B.