From the Tucson Citizen

Review: Artemis makes impressive debut here

DANIEL BUCKLEY
Citizen Music Critic
Feb. 8, 2001

In its Tucson debut, the youthful Artemis Quartet last night upheld comparison to the top echelon of string quartets in the world. It did it the old fashioned way, without frantic gesturing, overblown emotion or hairstyles and attitudes. It played the music on the stand, and played it superbly.
The program featured dark, lesser-heard works from this century and more familiar, sunnier fare from the romantic era - Dmitri Shostakovich's 1964 Quartet No. 9 in E-flat Major, Op. 117; Stravinsky's 1914 Three Pieces for String Quartet, Beethoven's 1826 Quartet in F Major, Op. 135; and Schubert's 1813 Quartet in C Major, D. 46.
The modern pieces featured Natalia Prischepenko on first violin, while Heime Müller took the lead parts in the 19th-century works. Each proved masterful in his or her respective role. Though it was slightly disappointing that the group played nothing from its outstanding recent disc of quartets by György Ligeti (to be reviewed in Calendar in two weeks), the contrasts set up by the programmed works proved effective. The Stravinsky was radical at the time of its debut, a year after his iconoclastic "Rite of Spring." Draped in harsh discord, it uses the strings with percussive power. Artemis captured the gruff, rustic quality of its medieval dancelike opening movement, the slurs and knife-edged slashes of its episodic middle section and the sweetly uncomfortable mood of its ethereal close.
Not surprisingly for a work written in the throes of the Cold War and the height of Soviet repression, the Shostakovich also rests on shifty harmonic ground. The work is cast in five movements played without pause. Artemis' reading was vital but controlled, tinting the Rossini-like rhythmic bites of its quick movements with soulful Russian expression, rendering the score's wit and sarcasm without exaggeration, and mastering its taut, layered multiple lines of activity to kaleidoscopic, harmonic effect. The group brought springboard tension to bear on the final allegro movement, building with wrenching power to a climax akin to waves of attacking beasts before bowing out with another wink toward Rossini and folk fiddling.
Artemis brought equal authority to its Schubert and Beethoven. The slow, graceful second movement of the Schubert proved particularly moving, with Artemis clearly referencing its Mozartean roots. In the Beethoven, it was the hunt-based Vivace movement that most impressed, with the players galloping joyously, snapping their interlocking parts together with crisp efficiency. Throughout, one was impressed with the unity of phrasing, precision, careful balance and adherence to style of the ensemble, along with the virtuosity and rich tone of each individual player.
On a related front, Arizona Friends of Chamber Music president Jean-Paul Bierny announced last night that pianist Lang Lang, who generated something of a sensation in his September Tucson debut, has been booked for two shows in March, 2003. His debut CD is reviewed in today's Calendar.

 

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