Concert Review—

Quartet And Guest Offered

An Exciting Auditory Challenge

By June S. April

Though they are relatively new on the musical scene, Enso String Quartet is clearly one of the up-and-coming bright, talented musical groups that can excite an audience with its technical virtuosity and range of repertoire. Since its inception at Yale’s Graduate School, violinists Maureen Nelson and Tereza Stanislav, violist Robert Brophy and cellist Richard Belcher have won awards at the Concert Artists Guild International Competition (first place) and at Chamber Music in Yellow Springs.

The quartet performed the latest concert in Newtown Friends of Music’s 2004-05 season of sponsored events, on November 14 at Edmond Town Hall. Sunday’s program opened with a balanced interpretation of Haydn’s String Quartet No. 27 in D Major, Opus 20, No. 4. The final selection for the afternoon was a magnificently moving work by Johannes Brahms, the String Quartet in A minor, Opus 51, No, 1.

Sandwiched between those works, the quartet demonstrated that the richness of their playing, and their understanding of these classics, belies the five years they have been together. To meld into a musical unit often takes many more years, but these gifted musicians have a particularly strong connection between them.

Stimulating audience imagination is one of the exciting benefits of listening to fine music. Contemporary music brings particular challenge by offering the mind to emotionally respond to “newer” sounds and progressions. If not a harmonious, melodic experience, it most certainly inspires the senses to react to deeper gut feelings.

Commissioned in 1995 by Lincoln Center, John Paul Corigliano’s String Quartet begins extremely quietly, seemingly a triple pianissimo (barely audible, soft/quiet). One wondered whether it would even be heard beyond the first row.

Happily, the acoustics at Edmond Town Hall are very good and even those in the balcony could hear the opening strings that conjured images of far-away/fog-embraced eerie sounds. The five segments were each excitingly provocative and replete with chordal contrasts and lyrical versus atonal portions.

The musicians’ energetic technical skills were tested, and the Enso Quartet passed with great panache. Mr Corigliano’s span of musical compositions are impressive. His score for the 1999 movie The Red Violin won him an Academy Award. He has written operas, orchestral music and concerti for several of the wind instruments. In 2000, Corigliano won the Pulitzer Prize for his Symphony No. 2. Also that year, he wrote Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan. The resonance for the Enso Quartet to this exciting composers’ work is obvious and pleasurable to experience.

A further bonus to the afternoon concert was the inclusion of the gifted baritone Thomas Meglioranza. The velvet richness of his voice as he sang Samuel Barber’s Dover Beach, Opus 3. was indeed most gratifying. There is no doubt why he is much in demand, just the clarity of his diction is a joy to hear. Then to relish the roundness of his tones...

Ah, this is a young man who can bring spectators to their feet to affirm his talent with standing ovations.

Once again, Newtown Friends of Music has served its audiences with outstanding musical adventures. It was heartening to see about four dozen young people in attendance, and those this reviewer spoke to also enjoyed it. Credit and recognition goes to the diligent efforts of Ellen Parrella, now beginning her 18th year as president of NFoM, and to teachers like Mr Hadin and Mr Lee at the Newtown schools, and Michelle Hiscovich, the director of music and the orchestra. These educators regularly educate their students about what NFoM’s program is about. They also play passages of the music that is to be performed in upcoming concerts, stimulating an important give and take of ideas.

For those who are interested, Enso String Quartet will shortly have its first compact disc on the market. On the Naxos Label, it will be a two-disc set of quartets by Ignaz Playel, a highly respected and popular composer (and publisher) of the 18th Century.