Australia's fantastic four celebrates 20 years with Ligeti, Stanhope and Beethoven.
City Recital Hall, Angel Place, Sydney
May 4, 2015

Lest we forget, the Goldner String Quartet is one of the ornaments of the Australian classical music scene. In a climate that seemingly throws up a new latest hot young chamber ensemble every week (and don’t get me wrong – some of them are excellent), we occasionally need reminding of what 20 years of playing together can do for a group of musicians. The Goldners are celebrating that particular milestone this year and their anniversary tour for Musica Viva shows those qualities to perfection – ensemble, communication, intonation and, the rarest of them all, apparent musical effortlessness. One suspects being two couples counts for something when it comes to the above, but that shouldn’t overshadow the sheer musicianship of the group. This programme highlights each of the Goldners’ various strengths in turn. Ligeti for technique and dramatic boldness, Paul Stanhope for commitment to new music, Beethoven for discipline and pure “innigkeit”.

Ligeti’s First String Quartet owes more of a debt to Bartók than you might imagine – in some of its aggressive stamping sections it’s like The Miraculous Mandarin on ice (the recreational drug, not the latest conceptual ballet for the festive season). A relatively early work, it eschews his later more experimental style for something that at times seems to channel his Hungarian forebear. From its mysterious opening with a radiant lyrical song on first violin it proceeds to travel through 17 contrasting sections, each one calling for control, dynamic extremes and (what can elude some) a sure sense of structure.

Tight as a drum, playing from iPads to negate the need for page turning, the Goldners stylishly negotiated Ligeti’s imaginative nocturnes (all fluttering moths), his comical tipsy waltz, his crazy Jewish foxtrot and his cartoon mechanical clock. The playing, which showcased their dexterity, clarity and pinpoint accuracy, was quite frankly astounding, delivering what for me was the best quartet performance I’ve heard in at least a year.

Paul Stanhope’s Third String Quartet is based on themes from his impressive Jandamarra: Sing for the Country, premiered last year in Sydney. While not as ‘catchy’ as that work turned out to be, it’s a well-crafted work in three contrasting movements travelling from dark to light. The first movement explores the idea of hunt for the fugitive Jandamarra, the second is a lament based on a song gifted to the composer by a Bunuba woman, the third an evocation of the waterways of the Kimberley. The work received fine advocacy from the Goldners, the second movement in particular (more of an idyll with a hint of Sculthorpian bird cries than the lament it might have been) was particularly memorable.

Beethoven’s late A Minor Quartet (No 15) is one of his most profound utterings and justifiably a cornerstone of the repertoire. A chamber music sister to the Ninth Symphony containing a heartfelt thank you for health restored, it can sometimes be hijacked as a demonstration of some of Beethoven’s later and more extreme experimentations. Not so the Goldners. This was a considered, balanced interpretation focusing on the 40-minute arc rather than the momentary.

The mellow opening with its wistful longings set the tone. Individual phrasings were thoughtfully shaped, solo moments wrapped tightly within the overall ensemble sound. The second movement maintained that sense of nostalgia, the Goldners’ waltz possessing an almost valedictory feel. The fourth movement march formed the perfect balance, stately rather than frantic, and the episodic finale saw the quartet tame some of the composer’s potential wildness to hold more of a mirror up to the first movement.

Of course the great Heilige Dankgesang is at the heart of the work – one, if not the – most sublime of Beethoven’s musical statements. The Goldners went to the absolute heart of the matter. Playing with minimal vibrato in the quieter passages, the slow builds, the long, arcing melodies, all were most beautifully shaped. The contrasting minuets were elegant and light as a Viennese soufflé. The sense of communion was palpable. This was truly great playing.

The three works were each ‘illustrated’ on a projection screen behind the players by video artist Sean Bacon. The semi-abstract moving pictures for the Ligeti were diverting but hardly essential. The imagery of the Kimberley, however, really helped the more programmatic Stanhope while the sensitive use of a static shot of the Beethoven score acknowledged the impossibility of improving on the work at hand. The group is touring this month. See them or miss a treat.

Clive Paget, Limelight Magazine