By Thanassis Vavlidas
18/12/2013, From Lutoslawski to Piazzola (Athens Concert Hall, known as Megaron Moussikis of Athens).
Modern music for a string quartet could be provocative and at the same time fascinating. The “Lutoslawski Quartet Wroclaw” consisting of soloists from Wroclaw Philharmonic Orchestra (Poland) prepared a homogeneous program of high interest for their concert in Athens. Composers like Lutoslawski, Schnittke, Piazzola are well known for their formalistic and stylistic innovations, but also the new generation has considerable and challenging propositions to make. Szymon Krzeszowiec (replacing Jakub Jakowicz) – violin, Marcin Markowicz – violin, Artur Rozmyslowicz – viola and Maciej Mlodawski – cello interpreted firstly the “String Quartet” (1964) of Witold Lutoslawski (1913-1994), a composition consisted of mobile elements played one after the other seeming to become sometimes aleatoric. The phrases are never completed, but their evolution comes to an end when they reach again the patterns of the violin’s monologue at the very beginning. Such a composition demands from the soloists to be very accurate and very expressive each time their turn comes to play memories from the violin’s monologue. We can certainly say that they achieved so.
The second composition was the “Quintet for piano and strings” (1972-1976) of Alfred Schnittke (1934-1998). It seems to be a piece of special importance for the composer, because it reflects his feelings for his mother who died in 1972. His pain is shown with intensity, tone clusters, dissonants, repetitions in five movements. One cannot easily forget the valse based on B-A-C-H initials (the composer admired deeply J. S. Bach) or the Lullaby at the end. The interpreters managed to create a variety of feelings from sadness to deep sorrow and mourning, although sometimes they seemed to play even louder than the pianist! Erato Alakiozidou (piano) is a member of the “Idee Fixe ensemble of modern music” as well as the other soloists who played with the quartet.
At the second part, the String Quartet collaborated firstly with Zacharias Tarpagas (alto flute) in the piece “Fragmente II” of Toshio Hosokawa (1955 - ), a piece which uses modern and old techniques which reminded us of the sound of shakuhatsi leading to a limited success. Secondly they collaborated with Theophilos Sotiriadis (alto saxophone) in the piece “Xingu” of Liduino Pitombeira (1962 - ). The saxophonist had absorbed the Brazilian rhythms of the piece in a way that he supported the strings’ sound and at the same time expressed strongly the mood that each of the three parts of the piece was written in. Thirdly they collaborated with Dimitris Leontzakos (bass clarinet) in the piece “String quartet No3” of Marcin Markowicz (1979 - ) which was originally written for string quartet and it was recently transcripted for bass clarinet and string quartet. The composer who is a member of the String Quartet managed to write a grotesque piece of low profile, transparent and luminous, although the main interpreter did not seem to share exactly this style. Last piece was two pieces from “Five Tango Sensations” of Astor Piazzola (1921 – 1922) where they collaborated with Konstantinos Raptis (bandoneon). The creator of “Nuevo tango” combined here tango and jazz with nostalgic feelings whereas the “orchestration” is full of energy and dissonances. The soloists respected the composer’s style and they leaded the concert to a triumphal end, although the last piece was titled “Fear”. With musicians like the ones we listened to during this concert, we fear not for the future of music. Modern music for strings is their voice of expression and the real voice of our times.
Thanassis Vavlidas
Member of the “Union of drama and music Greek critics”
18/12/2013, From Lutoslawski to Piazzola (Athens Concert Hall, known as Megaron Moussikis of Athens).
Modern music for a string quartet could be provocative and at the same time fascinating. The “Lutoslawski Quartet Wroclaw” consisting of soloists from Wroclaw Philharmonic Orchestra (Poland) prepared a homogeneous program of high interest for their concert in Athens. Composers like Lutoslawski, Schnittke, Piazzola are well known for their formalistic and stylistic innovations, but also the new generation has considerable and challenging propositions to make. Szymon Krzeszowiec (replacing Jakub Jakowicz) – violin, Marcin Markowicz – violin, Artur Rozmyslowicz – viola and Maciej Mlodawski – cello interpreted firstly the “String Quartet” (1964) of Witold Lutoslawski (1913-1994), a composition consisted of mobile elements played one after the other seeming to become sometimes aleatoric. The phrases are never completed, but their evolution comes to an end when they reach again the patterns of the violin’s monologue at the very beginning. Such a composition demands from the soloists to be very accurate and very expressive each time their turn comes to play memories from the violin’s monologue. We can certainly say that they achieved so.
The second composition was the “Quintet for piano and strings” (1972-1976) of Alfred Schnittke (1934-1998). It seems to be a piece of special importance for the composer, because it reflects his feelings for his mother who died in 1972. His pain is shown with intensity, tone clusters, dissonants, repetitions in five movements. One cannot easily forget the valse based on B-A-C-H initials (the composer admired deeply J. S. Bach) or the Lullaby at the end. The interpreters managed to create a variety of feelings from sadness to deep sorrow and mourning, although sometimes they seemed to play even louder than the pianist! Erato Alakiozidou (piano) is a member of the “Idee Fixe ensemble of modern music” as well as the other soloists who played with the quartet.
At the second part, the String Quartet collaborated firstly with Zacharias Tarpagas (alto flute) in the piece “Fragmente II” of Toshio Hosokawa (1955 - ), a piece which uses modern and old techniques which reminded us of the sound of shakuhatsi leading to a limited success. Secondly they collaborated with Theophilos Sotiriadis (alto saxophone) in the piece “Xingu” of Liduino Pitombeira (1962 - ). The saxophonist had absorbed the Brazilian rhythms of the piece in a way that he supported the strings’ sound and at the same time expressed strongly the mood that each of the three parts of the piece was written in. Thirdly they collaborated with Dimitris Leontzakos (bass clarinet) in the piece “String quartet No3” of Marcin Markowicz (1979 - ) which was originally written for string quartet and it was recently transcripted for bass clarinet and string quartet. The composer who is a member of the String Quartet managed to write a grotesque piece of low profile, transparent and luminous, although the main interpreter did not seem to share exactly this style. Last piece was two pieces from “Five Tango Sensations” of Astor Piazzola (1921 – 1922) where they collaborated with Konstantinos Raptis (bandoneon). The creator of “Nuevo tango” combined here tango and jazz with nostalgic feelings whereas the “orchestration” is full of energy and dissonances. The soloists respected the composer’s style and they leaded the concert to a triumphal end, although the last piece was titled “Fear”. With musicians like the ones we listened to during this concert, we fear not for the future of music. Modern music for strings is their voice of expression and the real voice of our times.
Thanassis Vavlidas
Member of the “Union of drama and music Greek critics”
