Cal Performances presents
the Danish String Quartet
2013-11-17
Hertz Hall
U.C. Berkeley, Bancroft Way at College Ave, Berkeley, CA
3:00 PM, Sunday, November 17, 2013

Hans Abrahamsen (b. 1952): String Quartet No. 1, Ten Preludes (1973)

1. [3:05 PM] ?
   [work ends 3:28 PM]

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847): String Quartet in A minor, Op. 13, Ist Es Wahr? (1827)

1. [3:30 PM] Adagio — Allegro vivace
2. [3:36 PM] Adagio non lento — Poco più animato — Tempo I
3. [3:47 PM] Intermezzo: Allegretto con moto — Allegro di molto — Tempo I
4. [3:m PM] Presto — Adagio non lento — Adagio
   [work ends 4:04 PM]

Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132 (1825)

[4:20 PM lights down]

1. [4:21 PM] Assai sostenuto — Allegro
2. [4:31 PM] Allegro ma non tanto
3. [4:41 PM] Heiliger Dankegesang eines Genesenen an die Gottheit, in der lydischen Tonart: Molto adagio — Neue Kraft fühlend: Andante
4. [4:m PM] Alla Marcia, assai vivace — Più allegro
5. [5:00 PM] Allegro appassionato
   [set ends 5:08 PM]

1. [5:10 PM] (Unidentified Danish/Swedish folk song)
   [show ends 5:13 PM]

• Asbjørn Norgaard: viola;
• Fredrik Oland: violin;
• Frederik Schoyen Sjolin: cello;
• Rune Tonsgaard Sorensen: violin.

A fine afternoon's recital!

I was unfamiliar with the opening work, and somewhat put off by the program notes touting it as containing “almost all that can be desired of musical expression” – just a little bit of bombast on the part of the promoter, perhaps? – but in performance, it turned out to be interesting enough. It's not clear to me why the ten movements were not identified in the program notes – they were obviously marked by full stops during performance – maybe someday I'll read more about the piece. and find out why!

I found the Mendelssohn piece to be the highlight of the day, as he's one of my favorite composers. Like his magnificent octet, this work unravels with a questing sense that is unrivaled in the classical repertoire.

And while I was looking forward to hearing the Beethoven work again, on this reading I found it to be somewhat turgid and dark … very much the product of a man suffering from dire illness. This probably fits well with the fall season, but on such a sunny day, the contrast with my mood was too great.

Back to the calendar!