Australian Haydn Ensemble String Quartet | Haydn’s Sun and Mendelssohn’s Stars
February 19, 2023, Utzon Room, Sydney Opera House
Skye McIntosh, violin
Matthew Greco, violin
Karina Schmitz, viola
Daniel Yeadon, cello
Aside from the heavenly bodies of the title, the unifying theme of this concert is the fugue.
As a foretaste from the master, the AHE Quartet played the first four fugues from Bach’s “The Art of Fugue.” All are based on the same subject with only slight alterations. Although Bach did not specify the instrumentation, he set the manuscript out in full score leaving it wide open to any configuration desired by the performers. The Classical string quartet, although not yet a “thing” in the Baroque period, is none-the-less beautifully suited to this music. In their performance, voices emerged from the texture with swelling dotted notes, making for a generous sonorous whole.
The fugue is the quintessentially Baroque and “The Art of Fugue” is considered the pinnacle of the form, so it makes a wonderful introduction to see what is made of it in the subsequent Classical and early Romantic music.
Haydn’s String Quartet in A major, No. 6 from the so called “Sun” quartets (Op20, written 1772) were historic in that the viola and cello were promoted from their previous mostly accompanying role to equal partners of the violins in sharing the musical interest.
The first movement Allegro di molto e scherzando was decidedly sunny; cheerful and lighthearted. The Adagio was lilting and tender. The Minuet and Trio (“Minuetto”) as a third movement is as quintessential to the Classical period as the fugue was to the Baroque. An interesting feature of the Trio in this movement is that Haydn has the players perform it all on one string. This creates a consistency of tone and helps set it aside from the Minuet. The Finale fugue movement, although doffing its hat to Bach, could not be more different. Firstly, it cracks a pace; secondly it is based on three melodies (“subjects”) rather than one, and, lastly, it is a cheerful as all get out.
Mendelssohn’s String Quartet in A minor Op. 13 was written in 1827 at age 18. It was the first quartet he considered worthy of publication. He was already a famous composer and performer; a child prodigy. In the same year Beethoven wrote his mature Op 132 quartets, so needless to say his influence is palpable, but Mendelssohn was already a mature musician and, with Schubert and Schumann, at the Avant-Garde of the Romantic period. This work has much of the emotional flux with which Romantic music is typified. The AHE Quartet brought a brightness of tone to the first movement despite the minor key. Although the first violin often dominates by virtue of its position; all parts were given their due weight as the score demands. By contrast in the Adagio they bring a warmer and gentler tone, especially to the fugal middle section. There were some particularly beautiful shimmering passages in the Intermezzo third movement. Wonderful drama ushers in the Presto. Surging and moody moments, capably played I might add, show that the young Mendelssohn had already well and truly found his romantic stride. Beautiful melodies, tenderness and passion juxtaposed; how well this young man understood musical drama!
It is a generalisation, I know, but European ensembles often take a rather serious attitude to revered music, especially where fugues are involved. By contrast Australian ensembles often take a more light and airy approach. The AHE is a case in point; their performance was a fresh as the proverbial daisy.
Photo credit: Oliver Miller
