Splendid evening of classic quartets

Carducci String Quartet at Concord College

For their concert at Concord College on Sunday, the Carducci String Quartet presented works by Haydn, Vaughan Williams and Beethoven.

This was the third concert organised by The Shropshire Trust. The Carducci played the three quartets Op. 59, the Razumovsky quartets by Beethoven.

These works are a great milestone in the history of the repertoire, making great demands on performer and listener alike.

Haydn’s Quartet Op. 76 No.2 was a brisk, impressive start to the proceedings; alternating as it did between the major and minor keys and some innovative voicings for the instruments.

The second quartet by Vaughan Williams is an unusual work, laying great emphasis on the viola, which plays both the opening and closing notes of this sublime work. Eoin Schmidt-Martin produced a golden tone from his viola and was superbly supported by violinists Matthew Denton and Michelle Fleming and cellist Emma Denton.

Their skills in listening to each other, having an intuitive realisation of the perfect dynamics mark them out as a quartet of the very highest calibre.

Beethoven’s Quartet Op.59 No 3 in C major was the finale; the cellist played with the inspiration which the music needs and the quartet were alert to every nuance of the music which brought a fine concert to a triumphant conclusion.

Andrew Petch