Guarneri String Quartet, Chicago Chorale, Chicago Ensemble
Guarneri String Quartet, Chicago Chorale, Chicago EnsembleBy M.L. Rantala, Classical Music Critic
Hyde Park Herald
November 5, 2008
Hyde Park is a great neighborhood for classical music fans, and this past weekend was packed with music: the Guarneri String Quartet made a stop at Mandel Hall as part of their farewell tour, the Chicago Chorale opened their season at the Hyde Park Union Church and the Chicago Ensemble performed to one of their largest audiences ever at International House.
Violinists Arnold Steinhardt and John Dalley, violist Michael Tree and cellist Peter Wiley will disband the Guarneri String Quartet and retire at the conclusion of the 200809 season. Since 1964, when they first came on the music scene, they have developed an enthusiastic following and received critical acclaim. University of Chicago Presents gave Hyde Parkers a chance to hear them one last time, and there were no disappointments.
In Kodály's String Quartet No. 2 their seasoned musicality led to a performance of complex ideas rendered crisply and with beautiful transparency. Their rhythmic intensity was particularly noteworthy.
They offered understated depth in Mozart's String Quartet in D minor (K. 421) while deftly moving through all its intricacy. Their performance always pulsed with excitement without the distractions of put-on visual drama. This is an ensemble that knows how to let the music sing for itself.
Dvorák's "American" quartet was a moving conclusion to a fine evening. The quartet was fluid and nimble, with generous tonal quality and a very light touch. The cheers that
followed brought the group back for two encores, excerpts from Mozart's K. 168. It was an enormously satisfying evening and a wonderful way to say goodbye.
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