SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Haydn, Schumann, Beethoven: Hagen String Quartet. Wigmore Hall, 30. 10. 2010 (CC)

Haydn, String Quartet in B-flat, Op. 50/1

Schumann, String Quartet in A, Op. 41/3

Beethoven, String Quartet in F, Op. 135

The Hagen Quartet is always a welcome visitor to the Wigmore. A BBC lunchtime concert from 2005 is still vivid in my memory, and this concert was, if anything, superior. The Hagens’ excellence with intonation is noteworthy. There was hardly a slip all night, and this aspect of the group’s playing, coupled with impressive ensemble and a true interpretative grasp of all they presented made for a remarkable set of performances.

The Haydn was the B-flat, Op. 50/1, a work dedicated to Wilhelm Friedrich II of Prussia (who was himself a cellist). In Haydn quartets, generally, purity of intonation is the first step towards the greatest enjoyment, and the Hagen Quartet delivered this and much more. The Hagens seemed to revel in the enigmatic nature of the first movement, while simultaneously seeming to underscore Haydn’s apparently infinite inspiration. The slow movement is a set of variations. It began with a pure, simple violin line before the variations began, each exquisitely delivered. Haydn’s Op. 50/1 is a quartet with ambitions, as the finale illustrates. The Hagen’s reading fully acknowledged that – no mere concert opener, this.

The Schumann string quartets appear to be among the most unjustly neglected in the repertoire. Performances seem to be far too rare given Schumann’s miraculous stream of invention. This was particularly evident here, in this performance of the A major Quartet, Op. 41/3 of 1842. It was interesting how the complexities of Schumann’s harmonies were thrown into relief after the cleaner harmonies of the Haydn. The Hagens’ performance was shot through with warmth and a full awareness of Schumann’s sometimes quirky mode of utterance (the Scherzo). The highlight, though, was the Adagio molto slow movement, with its intimate yet highly concentrated argument. There was some fine viola playing in particular here (Veronika Hagen). The climax, when it came, was radiant. Interesting how Schumann chose to use the fullest possible texture for the finale after this for maximal contrast (the Hagens sounded like a string orchestra). This was a masterly performance.

After the interval came Beethoven’s last quartet, the F-Major, Op. 135 (1826). It seemed evident that the Hagens lived every second of this music and that their interpretation was the result of much careful study. Minute dynamic hairpins were miraculously realised and yet there was a pure sense of direction throughout. They left plenty of space in the first movement for the music’s unfolding to register, which itself emphasised the high energy of the Scherzo. The slow movement was again the highlight, though – here, Beethoven’s “Lento assai, cantante e tranquillo” spoke of the true essence of profundity. The silences in the finale (with its question, “Muss es sein?”) really spoke. No encore afterwards, which came as something of a relief. Beethoven’s late quartet writing stands perfectly by itself.

 

Colin Clarke