Leamington Music, Carducci Quartet

Many in the audience will have a copy of the Ravel/Debussy quartets on vinyl LP tucked away somewhere.  The EMI issue in 1985 by the Alban Berg Quartett with sleeve notes by Martin Cooper is highly prized on several websites as the vinyl revolution gathers pace. Ravel’s String Quartet in F was the undoubted highlight of Carducci’s happy return to the Pump Room.  What a foursome! Playing Amati, Ruggieri and Storioni instruments with provenance of the Belcea Quartet, Liverpool Philharmonic and Guarneri String Quartet, their technique is thrilling to watch; Matthew Denton gives dynamic and energetic leadership, cellist Emma Denton responds with spirited playing. Michelle Fleming’s constant wizardry dovetails well with Eoin Schmidt-Martin’s convincing viola interpretation of the haunting moments in the opening allegro of Ravel’s first masterpiece.

Ravel’s work is modelled on Debussy’s but is in every way bigger; Debussy admired the work rather more than Gabriel Fauré to whom it is dedicated. Those haunting moments in the opening movement were replaced by vibrant violin pizzicato playing which extended to the cello in the very rhythmic second movement. Languid elegance is the way to describe the clever slow movement followed by a finale full of turbulence.

An audience responding with such agreement is not always experienced at the Pump Room; this was one performance where the response was a true reflection of the quality of performance.

Mendelssohn’s String Quartet in F minor Op 80 was one of his last works.  He was deeply troubled by the death of his sister who edited much of his work but did not receive the credit; he was troubled, too, by an infatuation with rising opera star Jenny Lind. Carducci’s intoxicating opening attack was soon replaced by the melacholic cello playing of the adagio – showing the flip side of the composer’s normally sunny personality. The final movement is full of taughtly focused chords played with tender feeling as the composer’s grief is seen in a blazing finish.

Carducci opened the evening with one of Haydn’s tuneful quartets, String Quartet in D Op 20 with its delightful dialogue between violins and cello in the adagio. However, the evening will be remembered for the Ravel.