SFJAZZ presents the Bartók Cycle featuring Calder Quartet
2014-11-11
Miner Auditorium
SFJAZZ Center, 205 Franklin St, San Francisco, CA
7:30 PM, Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2014 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2014 event list! ☸ On to the next event!

• Bartók String Quartets Nos. 5 & 6;
• Péter Eötvös: Korrespondenz

[7:32 PM lights down, announcements by Rebeca Mauleón]

Béla Bartók: String Quartet No. 5, Sz.102, BB 110 (1934)

1. [7:35 PM] Allegro
2. [7:44 PM] Adagio molto
3. [7:49 PM] Scherzo: alla bulgarese
4. [7:54 PM] Andante
5. [8:00 PM] Finale: Allegro vivace
   [work ends 8:07 PM, bows and then off; back in a few minutes; brief remarks about Korrespondenz by Andrew Bulbrook]

Péter Eötvös: Korrespondenz (scenes for string quartet) (1992)

1. [8:10 PM] Scene I
2. [8:14 PM] Scene II
3. [8:17 PM] Scene III
   [set ends 8:28 PM]

Béla Bartók: String Quartet No. 6, Sz.114, BB 119 (1939)

[8:49 PM lights down, announcements from Andrew Bulbrook]

1. [8:50 PM] Mesto – vivace
2. [8:58 PM] Mesto – marcia
3. [9:06 PM] Mesto – burletta
4. [9:13 PM] Mesto – molto tranquillo [work ends 9:20 PM; no encore, off after a minute or so]

Calder Quartet

• Andrew Bulbrook: violin;
• Eric Byers: cello;
• Benjamin Jacobson: violin;
• Jonathan Moerschel: viola.

First set tonight was quite good. The boys were obviously well-prepared, and I appreciated that Andrew Bulbrook took time to discuss each of the works with us – quite helpful in the absence of any official program notes! On the other hand, while Bullbrook's exegesis of the back story to Korrespondenz is interesting, I had a hard time determining how that translated to the work I heard, except at the most superficial level: assigning the viola part to W.A. Mozart and the cello to papa Leopold. Maybe I need to listen to a recording while reading additional critical analysis on the piece? Seems like extra work, without a lot of payoff in terms of potential enjoyment to be gained by that effort!

As noted first, the Bartók works were sublime. I thought the group did an excellent job of capturing the pathos encapsulated by the 6th, particularly with the semi-farcical march and then more so with the grieving final movement. I'll be interested in finding out whether Randall invites them back for another visit next season – depending on the program and my schedule, I could find myself back in row F once more!

Program Notes from a performance of Korrespondenz by the Los Angeles Philharmonic

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2014 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2014 event list! ☸ On to the next event!