Aurora

Australia is extremely fortunate to have a string quartet of the calibre of The Australian String Quartet. With its 40^th anniversary looming next year, they have amassed an astounding body of work including 80 Australian premiere compositions.

Comprised of Dale Barltrop (violin), Francesca Hiew (violin), Chris Cartlidge (viola) and guest cellist Charlotte Miles, this unique combination of performers share a special bond that brings classical and modern string quartet compositions to Australian audiences in their latest concert entitled Aurora.

It is fascinating to watch the quartet play; their smiles, intense concentration, the knowing looks between each other and the sheer joy on their faces playing the music they love. They play as such a cohesive unit that you would be forgiven for thinking that Charlotte Miles had been playing with them for years.

Aurora comprises three works that spans over two centuries by Haydn, Mustonen, and Grieg.

Joseph Haydn’s Quartet No. 64 in D major, Op. 76, No. 5, is sometimes nicknamed ‘ Largo’ because the second movement with that tempo distinction dominates the quartet both in length and in character. The work consists of four movements: Allegretto, Largo, Cantabile e mesto,  Menuetto. Allegro and  Finale Presto.

The first movement consists of  ‘unorthodox variations’. The second movement, written in F-sharp major is in sonata form. The third movement, in D major and D minor, is a standard minuet and trio, while the fourth movement's D Major, cut time Presto is in an irregular sonata form.

There are many ‘gems’ in the work for cello and viola, and many times when the quartet seems to be ‘singing’ to us, not to mention the fireworks of the Presto which saw many ‘glances’ and smiles between the players. It is a fitting homage to classicism.

For many of us in the audience, the highlight of the evening is Olli Mustonen’s String Quartet No.1. Composed in 2016. To quote Roy in the iconic Australian play Cosi, it is truly “Music of the spheres”!

Mustonen sums up the piece when he says, “In many of my works one can see some sort of a journey from darkness toward the light, in various forms. In the case of my String Quartet this journey is exceptionally arduous. There is an element of hope in some sections of the third movement, but the hope it offers is more of an otherworldly nature.”

Mustonen describes the quartet as a journey from darkness to light and it is a tough one. The quartet's first movement, Impetuoso, con passione e molto rubato (quasi senza tempo), begins with a passage of instrumental rage.

The short second movement, Furioso e pesante, is fast and furious though not as intense as the first.

The third movement, Grave - Ecstatico e misterioso, the quartet's longest, is lyrical and slow. It begins with a haunting melody to the heavy tread of the other strings but quickly develops into an almost other worldly experience, but the mood at the end turns quiet and unsettling as if there is something more to come.

Mustonen says, “I have given the finale, along with the metronome marking, the indication "Con fuoco all’Ungharese" - all this of course as a homage to the great Hungarian master, one of my greatest musical heroes already since the very early days of my life.” There are also echoes of the great Igor Stavinsky that punctuate the movement.

Arguably the most technical piece of the night, it is also the most satisfying and flawlessly played, creating some fascinating conversation at interval.

Aurora concludes with the mighty String Quartet No.1 in G minor, Op.27 by Edvard Grieg. Written in 1877-78. It is unlike other Grieg pieces which often tend to be short and written for piano.

Comprised of four movements - Un poco andante / Allegro molto ed agitato, Romanze: Andantino, Intermezzo: Allegro molto marcato / Piu vivo e scherzando and Finale / Presto al saltarello, this piece is mighty in every aspect. No wonder the quartet took a deep breath before they began!

Surprising fresh after centuries, Grieg's quartet is equally striking in the way it moves. The first movement is full of  astonishing rhythmic vitality. The second movement Romanze begins with a gentle waltz that accelerates into a dance with the Devil.

The third movement Intermezzo, a scherzo is reminiscent of a pagan rite at midnight.

The finale sustains and tops the previous movements with its saltarello, a leaping dance of Italian origin dating back to the Middle Ages. Grieg's absorption of Nordic folk dances such as the springdans and haller that create a ‘race to the finish’.

This piece requires endurance, and the Australian String Quartet has that and more, every nuance was perfect! It was a moving experience for both quartet and audience.

Aurora is a consummate musical evening featuring some of Australia’s finest musicians doing what they love -  playing, entertaining and educating. It is two hours of musical bliss!

Barry Hill OAM

Photo credit Kane Moroney