Vermeer Quartet gives flawless set

Comprised of musicians hailing from New York to Nebraska, the Vermeer String Quartet proved Sunday what bliss can be created through nearly 30 years of musical performance. The critically acclaimed group of men played for a full audience last Sunday in one of the last artist recitals of the season.

As opposed to other chamber groups who simply appear on stage to fill Finney's rafters with harmony for a few hours, the Vermeer captured their audience with the academics of passion and precision that only such a well-experienced ensemble can. Once rated "In a class by itself" by the Arizona Republic, the group stood up to their renowned reputation throughout all of Sunday's program, and then some; an encore followed the scheduled repertoire.

Perhaps the most amazing asset to the Vermeer is its ability to play any type of piece with skill and passion. While a variety of works were on the program - Romantic composer Hugo Wolf, impressionistic Claude Debussy and American metric modulation innovator Elliott Carter - the musicians performed each composition in full color, with spirit and learned, high class style.

Unusual for an artist recital, too, was the Vermeer's decision to play such a variety of works. While Wolf's Italian Serenade was more than beautiful in simplicity, the single Molto vivo movement highlighted by playful cello and cute, fluttering violin and viola tremolos, Carter's String Quartet No. 1 was truly something else. With three movements built entirely around dissonance and a-tonal tension, the work took the audience by surprise, leaving them simultaneously perplexed and satisfied with its complicated subject matter.

The String Quartet may not have been the best display of the Vermeer's talent (though they by no means played inferior) as compared with Sunday's other pieces, but was incredibly interesting to watch and listen to. At a few crucially dramatic points in the Fantasia: Maestoso movement, violinist Shmuel Ashkenasi plucked his instrument so violently, from afar, it looked as though he were trying to remove the strings from the body altogether. The affect was one of sharpness; distinct pizzicatos and infuriating snaps of sound added yet more dimension to the already full-textured sounds of the remaining instruments. Viola player Richard Young provided much of the consistency with eerie, open scales, making the piece's texture all the thicker, as if there were a full string orchestra on stage as opposed to just four men.

While the second movement of Carter's piece is named Allegro scorrevole, meaning "fast and flowing," it still fell into the same category as the first; up-scale dissonance and odd mixes of almost unpleasant-sounding harmony. One might wonder: did Carter compose for the sole purpose of disturbing his audience for a half-hour? No matter what the notes were, the Vermeer played them with dignity and gusto, finishing off Wolf's odd work with a viscous, thoroughly haunting set of Variations. The odd series of sounds seemed almost out of place in Finney, coming from the four well-dressed men on stage, playing perfectly and mechanically, all four bows moving in complete unison at points.

Following a brief intermission, enough time for the audience to get over Carter's dissonances and prepare themselves for something new, Debussy's String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10 was played in true French style. The second movement, Assez vif et bien rhythmé, was instantly a favorite. Though it lacked the intrigue of Carter's mysterious tonal style, the Vermeer invited their listeners to delight in the truly inventive. The piece began with four repeated pizzicatos, followed by expansion of dreamy melody and, like a conversation, a blend of musical motives amongst the four instruments.

The latent finale of the evening, however, was a smidgen better than Debussy's piece, if this is possible. As an encore following three raving curtain calls, Young announced the Vermeer would be playing the slow movement from Czech great Dvorák's Quartet in A flat. The piece was, in a word, wonderful. Finney was filled with romantic wafts of child-like melody and soft, sweet harmony that came to an end so quietly and perfectly, it was remarkable. A perfect end to a perfect evening, the Vermeer said farewell to their Oberlin audience with a lullaby like no other.