Golden Label nomination – Sharing the heart of music is their noble motto, and of course such a thing presupposes that as an ensemble one penetrates to the heart of the music. On their latest cd titled Solitude it is the gentlemen Mendelssohn and Weinberg whose emotional upheavals are laid bare in the most intense manner. To put it in film musical terms: It's electrifying!
But the Dudok Kwartet Amsterdam generally has even more up its sleeve for its listeners. Or what would you say to a carefully worked out program with the allure of a concert performance. On their first two albums – Métamorphoses and Labyrinth – the quartets of Ligeti were coupled with gems from the Viennese Classics. Even less conventional was the music of Brahms (some pieces originally for solo piano) and Bach (canons for up to eight voices) that came as a special bonus on top. Now there is their third cd, titled Solitude and once again published by Resonus Classics, and the quartet has truly surpassed itself in the structure of this album. Between the last quartet of Mendelssohn (1847) and the third work by Mieczysław Weinberg (1944), a piece suddenly emerges that is well-known from a Flemish perspective: Mille regretz by 'our' early modern polyphonist Josquin des Prez. The arrangement is by Dudok cellist David Faber. The impact in the overall recording is simply sublime. And the original text of the chanson fits nicely with the theme of solitude that runs like a red thread through the various works. As does the five-part madrigal with which Solitude concludes: Moro lasso by the late-Renaissance composer Carlo Gesualdo. "A musical penance," as it is called in the readable liner notes, by a tormented composer who murdered both his first wife and her lover. The interpretation by the isolated perpetrator produces anything but a great hit, but rather a final example of memorable ensemble playing that excels in consultation and, above all, in distinctive sonority. Even with only four players …
Reference material
The Dudok Kwartet Amsterdam opens the cd with the last completed masterwork of Felix Mendelssohn. Among performers, his opus 80 is perhaps his most popular string quartet today – as a concert-goer you encounter it regularly. And this composition is also well served on record – on the ArkivMusic website alone, 29 recordings are listed. Why then this choice? The title above the serene Adagio and the image in quadruplicate on the cd cover provide the key. For a grieving Felix wrote this "Requiem for Fanny" in memory of his recently deceased sister. The loss is reflected in a quartet whose restless outer movements, well, speak volumes. The members of the Dudok Kwartet turn them into (breathtaking) fast roller coasters that in a brilliant way evoke the energy of a live performance. There are not only the precisely emphasized storm winds of the Allegro vivace assai, or the frenzied finale in which the first violin has to perform superior finger-breaking passages twice (Allegro molto). Above all, there is a continuous drive in both movements, partly through small playings and figures by four musicians who have their say at the exact moment. The tension is therefore palpable from beginning to end. Only the bitter resignation of the Adagio offers some comfort. Certainly there the balance is perfect. The phrasings are passionate. And the oh so subtle fluctuations in dynamics complete the picture. Finally, something about the neatly accented scherzo, which begins in media res (Allegro assai). The middle voices do remarkably fine work there to, as if they were a barrel organ, completely stitch the music together. It is absolutely not a detail, but contributes essentially to the compelling qualities of this movement. A brief conclusion presents itself pleasantly: a new recording of opus 80 is no longer necessary. Comparison is also not really a must. This is reference material in any case.
What follows is thus Desprez and two delightful minutes of serene introspection. The contrast with the fury from Mendelssohn's finale or the frenzied opening of Weinberg's third string quartet is as welcome as it is gigantic, and does not miss its effect. As with Mendelssohn, Weinberg's music is also inspired by loss: his parents and sister did not survive the Second World War. And in this case too, the recording testifies to alertness, empathy and insight. Certainly in the opening section (Presto) the string players must be on their toes to render the unpredictable flood of musical ideas. Successfully. In the ensuing Andante sostenuto, the accompaniment sounds so tight that it seems like one instrument. The theme that suddenly breaks through in the first violin (2:20) is of quasi-perfect beauty and is played with tremendous feeling. This is a gripping movement that lingers. The monothematic finale, on the other hand, leaves a more fleeting impression (Allegretto). A touch of irony is not far away, as if Weinberg's good friend Shostakovich is peeking around the corner. The standard for the complete string quartets of Weinberg was already successfully set by the Quatuor Danel. But the Dudok, who still studied with Marc Danel at the Dutch String Quartet Academy, lets you listen to this work with fresh ears, and in this way makes a powerful plea for an equally powerful quartet.
Also featuring the sparse Elegy from Shostakovich's Two Pieces for String Quartet (1931) as an encore, which once again stylishly contrasts with the colorfulness of a Gesualdo, this has become anything but a light digestible little album. Solitude has a dark edge, but sparkles like a diamond through the quality of the performances. Klassiek Centraal is happy to add a golden glow to that. Loneliness was never so fine.
- WHO: Dudok Kwartet Amsterdam [Judith van Driel (violin), Marleen Wester (violin), Marie-Louise de Jong (viola) and David Faber (cello)]
- WHAT: Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) – String Quartet in f (opus 80) | Josquin des Prez (ca. 1450-1521) – Mille regretz (arr. David Faber) | Mieczysław Weinberg (1919-1996) – String Quartet No. 3 in d (opus 14) | Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) – Elegy (from Two Pieces for String Quartet) | Carlo Gesualdo (1566-1613) – Moro lasso (arr. David Faber)
- RELEASE: Resonus Classics (RES 10215)
- PHOTO CREDIT: © Marco Borggreve