Sayo Sugaya & Emi Ikuta violins
Natsuko Sakamoto viola
Ryo Kubota cello
Haydn String quartet in C major, op20 no2
Zemlinsky String quartet no4, op25
Schubert String Quartet in D minor, D810, Death and the Maiden
Quartetto Armonico is renowned as one of the
most successful young Japanese groups of recent years. The ensemble
is a laureate of several major competitions, including 2nd prize at
Menuhin's London International (formally Portsmouth) competition. The
performers - all in their late 20s - are graduates of Tokyo Geidai (the
Tokyo National University of Fine arts and Music) and their recent London
appearance as part of the Royal Academy of Music's Tokyo Geidei series
did not disappoint. (Note: most of the series was sadly cancelled -
see review of Davis/RAM/Beethoven Triple concerto - this was one of
two concerts that went ahead.)
Haydn's String quartet in C major, op20 no2
was a crisp and intricately crafted affair. The many unexpected contrasts
and immaculate interplay created real interest, and the rich, well-balanced
tone of the quartet spoke volumes. Both here and in Zemlinsky's String
quartet no4, op25, the Armonico's clean and well-proportioned phrasing
was evident, as was their extensive range of tone-colour; the deliberate
tension of more dissonant passages resulted in some beautiful, yearning
moments. More tonal subtlety followed in Schubert's String Quartet
in D minor, D810, Death and the Maiden - the arresting
opening was echoed by similar bursts of energy elsewhere in the piece,
but these were always offset by moments of release. Occasional uncentred
intonation and slightly uncoordinated stage presentation aside, this
was a superlative recital by the young Quartetto Armonico, a
quartet that is surely destined for a very successful career.
Simon Hewitt Jones
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