WESTMINSTER CONCERT SERIES, “Quattro Amici in Concert,” Vieve Gore Concert Hall, Westminster College, March 3
Since its start over a decade ago, Quattro Amici has been exploring the strings and piano chamber music repertoire diligently, playing concerts that are both engaging and stimulating. The four friends (Lun Jiang, violin; Roberta Zalkind, viola; Pegsoon Whang, cello; and Karlyn Bond, piano) delve into the music and present thoughtful readings that are sophisticated and polished. Their concerts are always a pleasure — as much for the repertoire as for their interpretations.
Quattro Amici in rehearsal.
On Monday the quartet (with David Porter replacing Zalkind on viola) gave a delightful performance of works by Haydn, Beethoven and Mozart — the core of the First Viennese School. Their playing was marked with a clarity of sound and wonderfully articulated expressiveness that served the music well.
The group (without Porter) opened with Haydn’s Piano Trio in C (Hob. XV:21), a rather late work in the composer’s oeuvre written in 1794. A bright, effervescent piece, the foursome played it with a light touch that captured its bright, sunny disposition. It was a lyrical perusal that was animated and refreshing.
The same was true for Jiang’s and Bond’s account of Beethoven’s Violin Sonata No. 5, Spring, which followed the Haydn. Theirs was an intuitive collaboration that emphasized the charming lyricism of the music. It was a well conceived and executed interpretation that was effusive and shimmered with light hearted optimism.
The concert ended with Mozart’s glorious Piano Quartet in G minor, K. 478, a large scale work with substance and depth that rivals the best of his string quartets and quintets.
The four players effortlessly captured the range of expressions and emotions that run through the work. Their interpretation was perceptive and they were sensitive to the demands of the score. Their playing was well balanced and rounded; it was also dynamic and forceful without being overdone. They brought finely crafted lyricism and nicely modulated expressiveness to their reading.