BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
‘Exaltation’
The Huon Quartet featuring Elinor Lea and Rohana O’Malley (violins), Douglas Coghill (viola), Jane Tallon (cello), joined by clarinettist Andrew Seymour
Works by Davison, Bartok and Brahms
Baha’i Centre, 16 October
I am pleased to take an aisle seat in the Huon Quartet’s ‘Exaltation’, the final concert for its 2015 series. Though the Baha’i Centre is accepted as an intimately sized venue, the seats are crammed together as tightly as one would expect on an airplane. Still, the sardined audience is a testament to Hobart’s eagerness for the premiere of young composer Angus Davison’s magnificent new work ‘The Fine Art of Conversation’.
Davison, founder of the Note-Aurius ensemble, was commissioned by the quartet to compose this work – a short piece with three identifiable sections. It begins with a driving, repeated rhythmic theme from the cello before the viola enters followed by the violins. Davison gives plenty of space for each instrument and somehow manages to make them sound both independent and full (much like a ‘conversation’, in this sense). The middle section of his work features notes broad in length, allowing the listener to focus on smooth tones, harmony and dissonance without distractions – a respect for sound in itself. Bright pizzicatos are a mood-changer and the work takes an aggressive turn (an argument erupting, perhaps?) but ends pleasantly. Davison comes up to take a modest bow for the audience before scuttling away again to watch the rest of the show.
The three movements of Bartok’s String Quartet No. 2 are next, and sound oddly tame by comparison. The first movement features luscious swells and the ensemble moves together with equal expression as a unit. The spritely Allegro molto, capriccioso comes next and the musicians bring the notes off the page with plenty of life. It’s a bit too heavy, generally speaking, and violent jabs are not particularly tight. But lost subtlety returns with a gentler Lento, the final movement in which it sounds like Bartok is taking a musical moment to relax after having completely exhausted himself! Very gradually, the group ascends in pitch and dynamic – building equal parts anticipation and dread. It resolves into mystery, somewhat of a non-ending.
Andrew Seymour joins the quartet for Brahms’ Clarinet Quartet Op. 115 in B minor, and somehow the acoustics of the venue cause him to blend seamlessly into the strings with a matching timbre. The group responds well to his presence – almost like the string players are giving him a special welcome so as not to disappoint him. It’s a great work, don’t get me wrong – but it is undeniably bland when compared to the first two works. Even some of Brahms’ more thrilling passages are lost in the memory of the energy that was.
Though he blends in well, Seymour is certainly a match for the four string players and balance is appropriate. The ending of this piece is fairly toned-down, and I’m not sad to see it go. This is a relatively short concert at 75 minutes, but feels a lot longer due to poor programming choices. Nevertheless, the fine musicianship of Seymour and the quartet shouldn’t be understated and the first two works are performed with brilliance.
Image supplied.
Disclaimer: Angus Davison is a CutCommon contributor.
