Fast Ride on a Lean Quartet Machine

Tonal balance and homogeneity of sound, rather than sharply etched lines, seem to be the hallmark of the best of the current string quartets. The estimable Jupiter String Quartet provided three casebook examples of this in its concert last Monday at the Napa Opera House. The 10-concert series of Chamber Music of Napa Valley, managed by John Kongsgaard, is in its 28th season, and sells out each house to an emphatically enthusiastic (but aging) group of chamber music aficionados.

Beginning with Mendelssohn's last composition, the foreboding Quartet in F Minor, Op. 80, the Jupiter moved quickly into what would be the evening's prevailing style — fast tempos, aggressive bowing, minimal voice leading, and interpretative decisions based primarily on visceral impact. And beginning with the Mendelssohn quartet, rather than Debussy's, was perhaps a way to throw a spotlight on the sole work that followed intermission, Bartók's Fifth Quartet. In the Mendelssohn, the opening Allegro vivace was propelled by Daniel McDonough's big cello line, which was insistent and had an edge that commands attention. The second movement began with more of the same, but had a shimmering, bantamweight ending that nevertheless carried to the last row in the 500-seat hall. Mendelssohn never wrote anything more plaintive than the Adagio, giving first the cello, and then Liz Freivogel's viola, a somber theme, and passing it about, not with abandon but with utmost care. The long line prevailed. The Allegretto finale regained the momentum of the first movement, and the Jupiter played it passionately. The whole was in some ways unsettling, sounding harmonically Mendelssohn but, to me, portraying the brunt of the anguished F-minor key and perhaps a portent of the composer's death. Concluding the first half was Debussy's sole quartet, which is as radical as the first day it was performed by the Ysaye Quartet in 1893. It is a quicksilver, improvisatory work, constantly modulating and delivering unexpected dynamic contrasts. The quartet is worlds apart from the Mendelssohn in scope, with an opening movement that is dramatic but lacks textural weight. The Jupiter again displayed consummate command, though it found less of a luxurious sound overall, with heavy emphasis on the pizzicato playing. In the second movement, the musicians ended precisely, in a beguiling impressionistic haze. The viola and cello parts dominated the third movement, with both artists able to play softly for extended periods and with perfect intonation. First violinist Nelson Lee excelled at the fast passagework, evincing exotic sounds from his instrument. The finale was expertly performed, as the fuguelike theme was deftly passed from the cello to the viola, then to the extroverted violinist Meg Freivogel and to Lee. The Jupiter's attention to the subtle tone colors of Debussy's spontaneous music was almost palpable.

Unfolding a Sonic Road Map

Following the traditional coffee, San Pellegrino mineral water, and cookies intermission, the quartet dived into the still-challenging fifth quartet of Bartók. The piece was played following an erudite and lively commentary by cellist McDonough. Describing the compositional "arch" that attracted Bartók in many works, as well as the folk music foundation of the third-movement Scherzo, McDonough provided a sonic map for the convoluted road ahead. The piece is built with connections between the first and last movements, and also the second and fourth. And it's diabolically hard to play. This young Boston-based quartet swallowed the work whole, lavishing just as much energy on the opening Allegro as it did on the atmospheric Adagio. The trills from both violins were haunting, and difficult to produce at pianissimo volume. The Scherzo was a brief bit of light, particularly the ardent partials from Lee's solo violin. The finale was "here we go again" locomotion, a community of potent string interplay with narrow vibrato (and sometimes vibratoless) playing that elevated Bartók's genius for compulsive sonic lines. The Jupiter is an exceptional quartet, wary of inhibitions and clearly able to convey the most arcane contrapuntal and melodic figurations to an audience. A component of this series is not simply to provide off-concert playing for talented local students, but also to allow ensembles to meet groups of people who have little background in classical music. The day before the concert, the Jupiter went "up Valley" to Calistoga to play for junior and senior high school students, many of whom had never seen a violin. Apparently, dedication to spreading both musical and emotional wealth is built into this first-cabin quartet.