We were delighted to welcome back the Karol Szymanowski Quartet, with musicians from Poland and Ukraine, to play their 9th concert for us on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Last in town in early 2018, they played W.A. Mozart’s 6 extraordinary string quintets (with extra violist Richard O’Neill, who has since joined the Takacs Quartet) spread over 2 wonderful concerts. Based on all their past concerts for us, we were keen to have them back, and they were booked in our 2020-2021 season. When that season was cancelled because of Covid, we had to wait 6 years for a return visit.
Violinists Agata Szymczewska and Robert Kowalski, and violist Volodia Mykytka have embraced Karol Marianowski as the Quartet’s new cellist. As it turned out, the group had a 3-hour delay flying from San Francisco the day of the concert. Tired and hungry upon arrival, they appreciated the afternoon sunshine and came directly to the Playhouse Theatre. They had time for rehearsals and sandwiches backstage before the concert. There was no time to relax, and as seasoned professionals they took it all in stride.
They began the evening with “Papa” Joseph Haydn’s very first string quartet, Opus 1, No. 1 “The Hunt”. Considering that Haydn developed the form of the string quartet from earlier divertimenti, and his composing style evolved over his long career, this first venture into the form is surprising. The music is elegant, a bit quirky, and full of sly humour. These musicians played with technical finesse and balance, but on top of that baseline brought their feeling and wit to daub this score with a beautifully pointed interpretation.
While the next piece was changed from a very early (1897) Schoenberg to Benjamin Britten’s String Quartet No. 3 (1975), the audience consensus was very positive about the change – even without any programme notes. Again, technical brilliance from the quartet served as a platform to support their dark and nuanced interpretation of this poignant music written late in the composer’s life. Half of the audience were standing to applaud this work that finished the first half.
After intermission, the Quartet played Felix Mendelssohn’s String Quartet No. 2, Opus 13 (1827). Hearing this music, written a year before Beethoven’s death, the older composer’s influence was very clear in what Mendelssohn wrote, along with fugal elements that show a direct or indirect influence from J.S. Bach. The KSQ gave us a deliciously persuasive performance of the music.
The evening closed with the Nocturne and Tarantella, Opus 28, by the KSQ’s namesake composer. These musicians deeply inhabit this 1920s era Eastern European music. First violinist Agata Szymczewska’s control and precision were incredible when matched by her expressive passion. And Volodia Mykytka created a timbral palate on his viola that had it sounding like an unfamiliar folk instrument or a mezzo singer at appropriate parts of the score.
This exciting, expressive, and dynamic performance of Szymanowski’s music brought an enthusiastic standing ovation from the audience to close the concert. After their performance, the musicians commented on how energized they had felt by the intense focus reflected back to them from our audience – a cure for a long day of travel and jet lag for these fine artists. As people were leaving the Playhouse, we heard comments asking us to bring the KSQ back again.
We hope you will join us to hear the first appearance for Friends by the Fauré Quartett from Germany on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at the Vancouver Playhouse.
