EIF Review: Belcea Quartet

A packed Queen’s Hall (for an 11.00am concert) was testament in advance to the reputation that the Belcea Quartet has built up since its formation by leader and first violinist Corina Belcea in 1994 with fellow students of the Royal College of Music.

Lindsay Munro reviews the Belcea Quartet…

This was their first Edinburgh outing since being joined by replacement second violin Suyeon Wang. Krzysztof Chorzelski on viola and Antoine Lederlin on cello complete the line-up.

The quartet sit extremely close together on stage, and from the very first bars of the two pieces by Mendelssohn that open the programme, it is obvious that this close formation exactly mirrors the way the group plays. All quartets must of course, be tight-knit, but the Belcea at times seems like one single organism with eight hands.

The slow, complex Fugue is clearly inspired by Baroque counterpoint and was built up steadily and painstakingly to reach its final resolution. An un-showy and restrained start to the recital, but one that showcased each player’s individual tone in a very pleasing way.

No such restraint was evident in the subsequent Capriccio, which is much more typically care-free Mendelssohn and romped along with much verve and little flashes of humour.

On then to Beethoven’s Quartet No. 16, his last work in the genre and indeed one of the last things he ever wrote. It’s a piece which is never less than challenging to the listener, especially the opening Allegretto, which is all fits and false starts and even in the super-capable hands of this ensemble didn’t quite cohere.

“No such restraint was evident in the subsequent Capriccio, which is much more typically care-free Mendelssohn and romped along with much verve and little flashes of humour.”

The much shorter second movement Vivace, sounded like a relief by comparison and was dispatched with much relish. The quartet then relaxed into a gorgeous rendition of the Lento, whose main theme (Beethoven back at his most lyrical and heartfelt) was passed among the players before subsiding into a beautifully subdued ending.

The final movement, Allegro, featured some deft call and response passages which really underlined the seamless unity of the quartet’s playing.

After the interval (and the perplexity of late-period Beethoven) Mozart’s Quartet No. 19 felt like 30 minutes of light and air, with a palpable sense of pure enjoyment from the players throughout. The piece is commonly referred to as the ‘Dissonance’ Quartet, but that only really applies to the short opening Adagio, which does feature some distinctly 19th-century-sounding harmonies.

Thereafter, it is classic Mozartian life affirmation all the way and provided the perfect opportunity for the Belcea to put its collective foot to the floor in an exhibition-standard display of fleet-fingered, joyous musicianship. The closing Allegro molto (for which read breakneck) brought the recital to a taut, breathless conclusion. It was a masterclass in what the string quartet can and should be about.

(this recital was recorded by Radio 3/BBC Sounds for future transmission)