Russian Quartet enraptures

The St. Petersburg String Quartet's concerts are always insightful and lively. The quartet's all-Franz-Schubert-concert Tuesday evening in Finney Chapel was no exception. In this concert, Conservatory faculty members Angela Cheng, Peter Dominguez, and Peter Rejto joined the quartet for two quintets, including the ever popular "Trout."

The Quintet in A-major, Op. 114, known as the "Trout," opened the Program. Schubert wrote the quintet in 1819 and based the fourth movement on one of his earlier lieder, also called "The Trout." Throughout the entire piece, the instruments engage in dialogues, expanding upon ideas that have been introduced earlier.

In this performance, the interaction was quite noticeable, especially between the violinist and the cellist and between the violinist and the pianist. It was nice to see a live performance of this piece, because one could see how the players emphasized the conversational element inherent in physical performance. This was even more noticeable due to the light and humorous nature of the piece.

The quartet continued the program with the Quartet in G-major, Op. 161. The mood of this quartet contrasted with the mood of the one before it. The first two movements were lyrical and mellow, which gave the first half of the piece a somber and serious feeling. This piece had sudden dynamic contrasts, as well, which created sudden changes in the emotions expressed in the music.

This quartet, like the "Trout," experimented with musical ideas. This was evident in the opening measures of the third movement. A trill began the movement, followed by three notes. This was developed creatively in the proceeding measures.

One interesting point about this piece was its use of modulation. The fourth movement was filled with changing tonalities in certain phrases. That created a sense of restlessness, which eventually found its peace later in the movement.

Schubert's Quintet in C-major, Op. 163 concluded the concert. For this piece, the quartet was joined by Mr. Rejto, on cello. This piece seemed much more introspective than the former two. At times, the music was transporting in its touching melodies, and at other times, it seemed to release itself and fly away with a sprightly and carefree mood. Each member had the most to say in the second movement. In that movement, each instrument was heard clearly through sparse accompaniament by the others. The members of the quartet let the melody shine through by gently guiding the soloist. The quartet appeared very connected. The quartet displayed an intense involvement with this piece, and achieved it quite well. This piece included dialogues between voices, contrasting moods and restless modulations.

This concert by the St. Petersburg String Quartet showed a glimpse into the many sides of Franz Schubert's music. One could see the happy and carefree side as well as the more intense and grave side. It was an edifying musical experience. The individual members became involved and excited about the music they were performing, and the audience in Finney Chapel responded quite warmly.