| CHAMBER MUSIC REVIEW Mixed Blessings August 15, 2002 |
By Cynthia Albers
The Petaluma Summer Music Festival continued on Thursday, August 15, with a performance by the San Francisco-based Cypress String Quartet. Still a young ensemble, the Cypress players have created a niche in the Bay Area through their "Call and Response" series, which features two pieces of standard repertoire, one inspired by the other, and a newly commissioned quartet further inspired by the two masterworks. In contrast, the Petaluma concert was programmed for variety, and the selections could not have been more different.
Second violinist Tom Stone engaged the audience by asking what characteristics came to mind when picturing the famous classical composers. His point was that Felix Mendelssohn, born into a privileged household, did not fit the usual description of the suffering, broody artist. But Stone promised the audience moments of "depth and reflection" in the D-major String Quartet, Op. 44 No. 1. Unfortunately those moments were not fully realized by the players.
The Cypress performance was polite and consistently treble-heavy, as if the first violinist could not drop her dynamic level for fear of being covered by the lower strings. This led to a series of movements with little dynamic contrast or timbral variation. I missed this most in the Un poco Allegretto, which would have benefited from an occasional rubato and the same textural coloring they achieved in the Debussy Quartet, later in the program. Although the final Presto con brio was played with vigor, the rest of the piece was emotionally flat and shapeless.
Cellist Jennifer Kloetzel introduced the quartet titled Fury as a new commission by Anna Weesner (b. 1965). This work was written for the "Call and Response" series in response to Beethoven's Op. 132 and inspired by Beethoven's use of form and cadence. "Part One: tender restraint, bright fury," began with a series of icy dissonances that melted into warm, vibrant chords. But the long dissonant passages became aimless, as if the players had lost their harmonic center. I wished for more sound and direction from the cello, and was rewarded in "Part Two: impulse and ardor" by Kloetzel's rich solo playing and dynamic leadership of strongly rhythmic sections. The players brought fresh energy to the Quartet in G minor by Claude Debussy. This was a stunning performance that truly captured the essence of the music (the quartet claimed that the piece had been in their repertoire for years). The four musicians moved as one, delivering impeccable intonation, expressive dynamics and driving rhythms. Violist Ethan Filner, whose sound was otherwise transparent, played brilliantly when featured in the second movement, Assez vif et bien rhythmé. The third movement, Très modéré, included a short but beautiful duo between violinists Ward and Stone. Cellist Jennifer Kloetzel and violinist Cecily Ward were outstanding throughout the piece. The Cypress players have impressive resumes and an apparent dedication to their work as a quartet. Their verbal commentary is engaging, and this performance of a well-studied work shows what magic they can create with time. (Cynthia Albers is a violinist and teacher residing in rural Sonoma County. She performs with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and American Bach Soloists, and is a graduate of the Indiana University School of Music.) ©2002 Cynthia Albers, all rights reserved |