Chanterelle String Quartet, What the Audience Said

Describing the challenges of performing chamber music, the great violinist Isaac Stern said,  “Chamber music is so exposed. You can’t hide behind 14 other people playing the same notes (as in an orchestra). You can’t hide anywhere. You’re there all alone with your bare face and your bare note. You’re responsible for that note in that place, at that second, at that quality of sound, depending on what the others are doing. You have to fit. The group has to sound like one. If any part is out of kilter, the one will not happen.”

Last night’s performance (Friday 1 August 2014) by the Chanterelle Quartet was a beautiful example of this. Each musician gave us a consummate performance. With shared musical intelligence and rapport, their individual performances were melded into an immensely satisfying whole. Their Hayden quartet was elegant, their Dvorak suite was lyrical and tender, and their Mozart quartet was profound.

 

 CSQ 3 by 1

 

We spoke to some of the audience members about the concert. This is what they said

“ Enjoyed this concert, as I always do. I particularly liked the Dvorak work.”

“ Fantastic. I haven’t heard this group before; they are really good. In a way this was a special performance. The musicians were playing music that they had chosen and obviously love. That made me feel a personal connection with them and their music. I enjoy orchestral performances in bigger more commercial venues – but I know that an artistic director, not the performers, chooses the works. In a chamber music concert like this, there is a nice feeling of intimacy because the performers are doing what they want to do. It's not just a job; they are sharing their passion for particular composers and particular music. That adds so much to the performance.”

“Very pleasing to see these SSO performers in the spotlight where their talent can be appreciated.”

“I had high expectations for this concert, particularly the Dvorak songs and I wasn’t disappointed. When Dvorak transcribed these love songs for performance by a string quartet, he gave the part of the human voice to the first violin so that’s what I was listening for tonight. Fiona Ziegler handled it beautifully"

“Just perfect. Can’t say more than that!”

“ Lovely concert. The fourth song in the Dvorak suite had a particularly nice, lilting quality about it”

“Great concert. The adagio movement of the Mozart Quartet [Hoffmeister] was the highlight for me.  The quartet had a good balance, each instrument had its own subtle voice and they came together in a profoundly moving way.”

“Very lovely pieces, which I haven’t heard before. That’s one of the benefits of belonging to the Society, often the concerts feature music I haven’t heard before so there is always something new and different to enjoy.”

As  the Chanterelle Quartet was warming up before the concert, our photographer captured some moments that show the grace and focus of these performers.

 

 CSQ LZ

 Leone Ziegler

 

 CSQ FZ

Fiona Ziegler

 

CSQ JH

Jane Hazelwood

 

CSQ KC

 Kristy Conrau

 

                                                     Text and Photos: Charmain Boyakovsky

 

Posted on Saturday, 2 August 2014 at 3pm