Takacs Quartet, The Bartok Cycle

Carnegie Music Hall, Pittsburgh, PA

Takacs Quartet completed their second night playing through the Bartok quartets, the final concert featuring Quartets numbers 2, 4, and 6.  The performance of each quartet (that is, 2, 4, and 6) was exciting and engaging in its own way...the 2nd was especially lyrical, with a decided focus on connecting, and extending, Bartok's long lines and evolving melodic-rhythmic phrases.  The middle movement, Allegro molto capriccioso, was played with real belly-fire...the mid-section mute-passage entirely surprising, dramatic in the sudden dynamic shift.  It's the last movement, though, that I'll remember most from Takacs' performance:  gradual, ascendant, indeed, devoted.  The quartet maintained a rigorous guidance to the development of the longe-range formal agenda of this movement.  In particular, a point I hope to read about (or write about) is the way in which Bartok re-contextualizes what are, in other environments, nearly quotidian harmonic materials.  What I mean is, there is a point in the grradual accumulative harmonic growth of the movement that, I am sure (and I intend  to find out for sure) culminates in a major triad.  "Major," sure, but it sure does'nt "sound" major, and it's certainly not functional in a tonal kind of way...Bartok makes something entirely new out of a basic, even common, material...the notes of this chord seem an inevitable conclusion of the novel pitch-structures.

The 4th quartet was equally thrilling, but here again it's the slow movement, the middle movement, the movement that showcases a profound cello solo, followed by solos from each of the members of the ensemble, each solo surrounded by an effervescent shimmering chord-spiral, never static, never quickly changing either.  Of course, I hope to remember for a long time the performance of the 2nd and 4th movements...the pizzicato was riveting.

I came to a different, a new, understanding about the 6th quartet listening to Takacs....the main difference is my renewed perception of the last movement...gentle, longed-for.

Takacs Quartet:

Edward Dusinberre, violin; Karoly Schranz, violin; Roger Tapping, viola; Andras Fejer, cello.