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PERFORMING ARTS
Lindefelt and Fredrik of the LK, whose music spoke more clearly than words.
(By Johan Jonsson)
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Vartanyan's penchant for details resulted in music that caressed the ears in Bizet's Symphony No. 1 in C and Mozart's Symphony No. 32 in G, K. 318. Though the orchestra produced many sonic pearls, the pieces lacked a holistic connection -- a string to pull the gems into a necklace. As the two-year-old organization matures, we can expect those links to solidify, one by one.
-- Grace Jean
Fine Arts Quartet
The Milwaukee-based Fine Arts Quartet, with Brazilian piano virtuoso Cristina Ortiz, gave an interesting program Sunday at Dumbarton Oaks, including the rarely heard piano quintets of Franck and Faur¿ (No. 1), with the Shostakovich Quartet No. 1 for a curtain-raiser.
This ensemble exudes mature, seasoned musicianship. Together for many years, its members do not try to showboat or emote; they focus on the music. At times, one hears a whiff of routine in their playing, but it is a very high-level routine. And they have the sine qua non of every great string quartet, which is a strong second violinist. Efim Boico brings first-violin chops and presence, but willingly subsumes himself into the quartet fabric. Leader Ralph Evans is solid and fluent, though he applies an undifferentiated vibrato to everything. The lower strings are excellent.
The Shostakovich is a slight work, but it contains a nasty scherzo, which the Fine Arts tossed off flawlessly.
Faur¿'s quintet, like so much of his music, features lovely themes, usually tinged with Gallic nostalgia. The problem is lack of sufficient contrasting material; events just meander by without much profile. Serious appreciation of this particular work is further hampered by the almost note-for-note resemblance of the finale's main theme to "Fly Me to the Moon."
The Franck quintet certainly has more pith, particularly in the dreamy Lento, but here Ortiz often overpowered her partners. With the piano lid up, they were at her mercy and she gave no quarter.
-- Robert Battey
