Captivating Performance
P4 BASH
Wairarapa News, July 1, 2009
Reviewed by Eric Turner
A last-minute surge in bookings, perfect acoustics, and above all a superb performance by seasoned professionals added up to an evening of chamber music last Friday that would be hard to beat.
Featherston's Anzac Hall, with its new Yamaha grand piano and warm, wood-lined interior was a perfect venue for the piano quartet comprising Michael Houstoun with Wilma Smith (violin), Gillian Ansell (viola) and Ashley Brown (cello).
From the opening bars of Brahms 2nd Piano Quartet in A the large audience was captivated by these highly-skilled musicians. After an enthusiastic but mistimed applause following the first movement - understandable as it concluded with a dramatic cadence and there were no programme notes to serve as a cue - the patrons got the message and withheld further clapping until the end. I found the final movement particularly exciting with its several melodies within complex time signatures.
The second work was a short single-movement quartet by Russian composer Alfred Schnittke (1934-1998). It must rank as one of the most difficult pieces to play, demanding huge dexterity by all four instruments. With crashing piano chords and screeching strings, it was either exciting or chaotic, depending on your viewpoint.
By contrast the Fauré C minor quartet was full of beauty and flowing melodies, with an intense first movement, almost comical scherzo second movement and a poignant adagio before the colourful finale. Mention should be made of the well-placed CCTV cameras and a large split-screen, enabling the audience to watch Houstoun's hands and the string players at the same time.