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CHAMBER MUSIC REVIEW
December 5, 2004
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By Cynthia Mei
The Miami String Quartet's Sunday concert at the McKenna Theater, San Francisco State, was a demonstration of competence and professionalism. They played with a strident modern sound, creating wonderful contrasts and displaying their greatest strength in areas demanding soft, hushed coloration. All was executed with a sharp and quick ensemble.
The centerpiece Quartet No. 1 (1948) by Argentinean composer Alberto Ginastera recalled his Pampeana No.1 for Violin and Piano, written the year before, and the 1950 Pampeana No. 2 for Cello and Piano. Ginastera incorporated traditional folk music much in the manner of Dvorák and Bartók, changing his technique as his style changed, drastically, throughout his life. Ginastera assigned his work to three distinct periods: “objective nationalism” (1934-47), directly relating to folk music; “subjective nationalism” (1947-57), searching for a new Argentinean style; and “neo-expressionism” (1958-83), his avant-garde period. The Quartet No. 1 lies on the cusp of the first two periods, with clear national roots and a feeling of pushing the edge only slightly in terms of traditional tonal writing. There were grand solos for the violin and cello, echoing Argentinean folk music and dance styles. The piece well suited Miami's style and looked like a lot of fun to play.
The Ginastera was preceded by a well-polished performance of the Beethoven Quartet Op. 18 No. 5. Again, the Miami managed impressive contrasts, with flautando strokes and pointed gestures. They might have used a little more “in between” subtlety, but all was expertly done .
The concert ended with an energetic performance of the Ravel String Quartet. This piece, however, demanded more of fantasy and reverie. French music is difficult to play properly because so much of it is not about the notes but rather about the overall feel and color, hardly a natural thing for American musicians. I remember a San Francisco Symphony rehearsal with Charles Dutoit conducting Ravel's “Mother Goose” Suite and spending hours balancing details in technically easy passages. The musicians were puzzled by his intense attention to detail; but what resulted was an unforgettable, touching performance by the orchestra. At Sunday's concert the attention to detail was there, but it tended to vary at different moments from different players. In any case, the Miami String Quartet's concert overall was enjoyable and well-presented.
(Cynthia Mei is violinist and director of the ADORNO ensemble and “Kandinsky Listening.”)
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