From left: Jos Jonkers, Mayumi Kanagawa, Albin Uusijärvi, Alice Gott Photo: Bruno Bonansea
The Lazarus String Quartet perform in St Andrew's on The Terrace in Wellington, 1 September 2019.
The quartet was established in 2007 by four University of Canterbury graduates. Winning the Pettman/ROSL scholarship opened doors for the group in Europe and they toured extensively. Based in Berlin, the members include founder cellist Alice Gott (born in Dunedin) as well as violinists Mayumi Kanagawa (USA/Japan) and Jos Jonker (The Netherlands), and violist Albin Uusijärvi (Sweden).
Programme:
MOZART: String Quartet No 16 in Eb K428;
BARTÓK: String Quartet No 2 in A minor Op 17;
BEETHOVEN: String Quartet in Bb Op 18/6;
SCHUMANN: Träumerei, from Kinderszenen
LISTEN to this performance here:
MOZART: String Quartet No 16 in E flat K428
Mozart Photo: Public Domain
This is the third in a set of six string quartets that Mozart dedicated to Joseph Haydn, his great contemporary.
Haydn returned the compliment. On hearing these works, he told Mozart's father that his son was the finest composer in the world.
There are four movements:
- Allegro non troppo
- Andante con moto
- Menuetto & Trio
- Allegro vivace
Recorded 1 September 2019 at St Andrew's on The Terrace, Wellington by RNZ Concert
Sound Engineer: Darryl Stack
BARTÓK: String Quartet No 2 in A minor Op 17
Béla Bartók in 1922 Photo: Public Domain
In the early 20th century, Béla Bartók was engaged in the collection and preservation of authentic Hungarian folk music. He was profoundly influenced by this research, so much so that the rhythms, melodies and moods of this 'peasant music' are found in abundance throughout his compositions.
When the Hungarian border was closed due to WWI, Bartók was compelled to make a drastic change to his lifestyle and research. It was during these war years that he wrote his second string quartet.
There are three movements:
- Moderato
- Allegro molto capriccioso
- Lento
Recorded 1 September 2019 at St Andrew's on The Terrace, Wellington by RNZ Concert
Sound Engineer: Darryl Stack
BEETHOVEN: String Quartet in B flat Op 18 No 6
Portrait of Beethoven in 1804 Photo: Joseph Willibrord Mähler, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
In his first set of six string quartets, Beethoven was strongly influenced by his own predecessors in the genre, Haydn and Mozart. The set reveals Beethoven's mastery and early innovations in a genre where he remained an unmatched pioneer until Bartók's arrival in the 20th century.
Beethoven was nearing the age of 30 and already progressively losing his hearing. With this in mind, the sixth quartet opens full of joy and humour but travels to more daring ground in the last movement, exploring stark dualities and contrasts. The unusually named last movement 'La Malinconia' (Melancholy) also has the instruction 'this piece must be treated with the utmost delicacy'.
Recorded 1 September 2019 at St Andrew's on The Terrace, Wellington by RNZ Concert
Sound Engineer: Darryl Stack
Related:
SCHUMANN: Träumeri, from Kinderszenen (encore)
Lazarus String Quartet Photo: Bruno Bonansea
The members of Lazarus String Quartet are: violinists Mayumi Kanagawa (USA/Japan) and Jos Jonker (The Netherlands), violist Albin Uusijärvi (Sweden) and cellist/founder Alice Gott (New Zealand).
Recorded 1 September 2019 at St Andrew's on The Terrace, Wellington by RNZ Concert
Sound engineer: Darryl Stack
