Royal String Quartet, Concert Review

The lucky audience who attended the concert given by the Royal String Quartet last term were treated to a feast of music making. Shortlisted by the Royal Philharmonic Society as one of the three most outstanding chamber groups to appear in the UK, the Royal String Quartet was established in Warsaw in 1998 and has since gained a reputation as one of the world's most interesting and dynamically developing string quartets of the young generation.

Their varied programme consisted of three works, Mozart's String Quartet in D K.499 (the “Hoffmeister”), Szymanowski's First Quartet, and Dvořák's “American” Quartet. Mozart's “Hoffmeister” is a joyful work in four movements. The Royal's performance captured the essence of Mozart's lyrical style, communicating the high spirits tempered by hints of wryness that became increasingly characteristic of the composer.

The music of the Polish composer Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937) has become increasingly well known in recent years through the championship of such eminent musicians as Sir Simon Rattle. The Royal Quartet's recording of both his quartets has received rave reviews in the musical press, and hearing their performance on Sunday night one can understand why. Szymanowski's rarefied musical language was caught to perfection in a reading of great subtlety and power.

Dvořák's “American” Quartet is deservedly one of the most popular quartets in the concert repertoire, possessing a wonderfully fresh melodic inspiration. The work was composed whilst Dvořák was resident in the US as director of the conservatory in New York. Dvořák borrowed from spirituals and slaves' work songs but not by quotation; as the composer later explained, “I tried to write in the spirit of the American folk melodies.” The Royal Quartet's performance fully projected all the melodic and textural colours of the music, assisted by the generous acoustic of the College Chapel. The short encore by Syzmanowski ended a memorable musical evening of the highest calibre.