Review: From Russia with love

The NZ String Quartet impressed with it's distinctive programme which was cleverly devised.

New Zealand String Quartet Russian Icons
Music by Kapustin, Stravinsky, Shostakovich and Borodin
Tom McDonald Cellar, Church Road Winery, Napier, last Saturday

The NZ String Quartet - violinists Helene Pohl and Douglas Beilman, violist Gillian Ansell and cellist Rolf Gjelsten - was back to play this distinctive programme. It was cleverly devised, with three 20th-century compositions by Russian composers in the first half, culminating in the exquisite 19th-century composition String Quartet No2 in D by Alexander Borodin.

Borodin knew how to express emotion in this love music - a present for his wife marking the 20th anniversary of their first meeting. It was given a fine performance, with some clearly etched solo lines from each of the four players. The finale was a well-crafted performance.

With its sparkling rhythms and jazz emphasis, the Fuga from String Quartet No1 by contemporary composer Nikolai Kapustin made a splendid start to the programme, with the opening percussion effects and its contrapuntal lines deftly integrated and balanced.

The playing of Stravinsky's Three Pieces for String Quartet captured the character of each piece perfectly.

The unique character of music by Shostakovich was always evident in the playing of his String Quartet No4 in D. The melodic lines of the first movement were elegantly shaped over the cello pedal and there was a strong emphasis of the first violin line in the following slow movement, with its sustained, gentle ending. The lively character of the first and third parts of the Scherzo third movement was strongly contrasted with some especially fine viola playing in the middle section.