Out West Arts: Performance at the end of the world

The Takács Quartet is one of those fixtures of the classical music world that seems almost impervious to time. Even after 35 years and a handful of personnel changes, they remain one of the finest chamber music ensembles in the world. They returned to Southern California on Tuesday along with pianist Garrick Ohlsson on their current tour as guests of the Philharmonic Society of Orange County to the intimate Irvine Barclay Theater. The program was part of the organization’s “Beethoven: The Late Great” series revisiting the monumental music the composer produced in his final years, and the evening did include his String Quartet No. 14, Op.131. It was the first time I’ve heard the current roster of Takács play this piece since their much lauded recording of the Beethoven string quartets and subsequent appearances in Los Angeles nearly a decade ago. Little had changed musically with the seamless addition of violist Geraldine Walther to the combo, and no one went away disappointed. It was lean, muscular Beethoven, now in full Romantic bloom, enchanted with rhythm and touchingly lyrical. It’s easy to complain about the omnipresent programming of Beethoven’s music, but this performance provided all of its own justification.

The rest of the night was dedicated to the endlessly fascinating musical world of Shostakovich and the Piano Quintet in G minor with Ohlsson. The Quintet was composed in the halcyon days of the late 30s and early 40s when Shostakovich was on the rebound from his falling out with Stalin and his works were again warmly received by the powers-that-be even if they would sustain some outside criticism for the composer’s purported willingness to toe the party line a bit more artistically. Seventy years later, though, one wouldn’t mistake the music as having come from any other hand with its jarring combinations of military and carnivalesque elements. The opening Prelude and Lento was some of the most haltingly sad music I’ve heard played all year. The Takács players have the knack of delivering something that could be almost obscenely jocular but also knowingly weary at other times. Perhaps the only oddity here was that the Takács players and Ohlsson could be of two minds at moments. Ohlsson often went for a polished almost quintessentially classical feel, eschewing the temptation to deliver a poke in the ribs every now and then. But it may have been for the best, grounding the performance overall with some contrasting elements. The Takács players will continue their tour through the U.S., Europe, and Australia into the summer with appearance at Carnegie Hall next month, and if you haven’t caught up with them lately, now would be a great time.

Labels: Philharmonic Society OC, Takács

The Takács Quartet

I am usually not someone who cares much about the whole clapping between movements issue, but I must admit I have my limits. This Thursday was one such example with an appearance from the eminent Takács Quartet at the Segerstrom Concert Hall in Orange County. It’s funny how much time insincere, mechanical, social clapping can add to an evening of chamber music. This may be especially true at the Segerstrom, which is too large for this kind of program, though I will admit has started to sound better to me than on the last few visits I have had there in terms of its acoustics. (Or at least it is from where I was sitting.)

The Takáks Quartet is currently on tour around the U.S., and it is always a special treat to hear them play. This is my first opportunity to see the Takács ensemble play live since violist Geraldine Walther took over for the retiring Roger Tapping in 2005, and, I would say, little about their former sound and approach have been lost. They are still remarkably of the same mind and make no bones about playing music with passion and commitment. There is nothing lazy or half-hearted about anything they do, and my memories of their Beethoven performances several years back are quite positive.

Of course, not every piece benefits from the same treatment. The program began with Haydn’s Quartet is G-minor Op.74 No. 3 and followed with the Brahms’ Quartet No.3 in G major. To conclude the program they were joined on stage by Jean-Yves Thibaudet, apparently still in town from last week’s L.A. Phil performances, in Cesar Franck’s Piano Quintet in F minor. The Haydn seemed a tad overplayed at times with more murky tones and dark brooding than one might normally associate with the composer. A lighter touch might not have hurt, but again this is a big room that requires big gestures. The Brahm’s faired better and all should be congratulated on such a strong performance.

Franck’s rather melodramatic work for the piano and the quartet was hard to like despite the very detailed and earnest rendition it was given here. All melodramatic zeal, the piece bordered at times on the gothic as opposed to the purely romantic. It was disquieting in a way and left me feeling rather peevish and disturbed. I guess that's an accomplishment in its own right, though. Still, it was good to see the group in such good shape and playing so well. Hopefully we'll see them out this way before not so long next time.

Labels: Orange County Events, Takács