Eighth Notes

When the Pro Arte Quartet came to the Ephraim Moravian Church on May 14, it gave us both its best playing to date and a fresh, beautifully conceived program. This ensemble has an illustrious history extending many decades past. Its present incarnation may be the finest ever, an exciting blend of impetuosity and mature musicianship. Nothing these artists undertake is ever routine; they find ways to breathe a new aspect into their work – and that affords new unexpected rewards.

We must begin with the astonishing leader – David Perry, a violinist known to every colleague as one of outright best among today’s fiddlers. A silken tone, fiery facility and consummate musicianship are absorbed by all who work with him. Fortunately, his associates have obviously profited from his gifts and the results have been sparkling. Second violinist Suzanne Beia has become ever more subtle, ever more technically accomplished. Violist Sally Chisholm is miraculous – lush, exquisite in tone (from her Amati/Guarneri hybrid). Her musicianship is commanding and her detailing a wonder. Cellist Parry Karp has sharpened his art, now vibrating faster and fitting in with his associates more compellingly.

For the first work, the quartet chose the String Quartet in C Minor by Luigi Boccherini. They used a manuscript obtained in Lucca, Italy when they were on sabbatical this past year. The work is a treasurable one, drawing even, liquid sounds in the Comodo first movement. Parry Karp led deftly in the early pages of the Adagio. The final Allegro contained some jagged writing, eagerly embraced by the foursome.

The second number, Cypresses or Cypress Trees, was composed by Antonin Dvorak when he was twenty-four and smitten with a young lady. These were originally a set of songs, but Dvorak later recast segments into a string quartet. It, like so many other Dvorak works, is rich in contrasts and is suffused with both grace and loveliness. From the sweetness of You are my Glorious Rose to the ferocity of There Stands an Ancient Crag, The Pro Arte was in command of every nuance. A lovelier or more completely realized performance could scarcely be imagined.

For the evening’s finale, the quartet chose Mendelssohn’s String Quartet in E Minor, Op. 44, his second venture in this genre. Here, the Pro Arte had a sure grip on the often quixotic work. The lively opening Allegro was rife with energy while still being beautifully crafted. The following Scherzo had a firefly liveliness and some remarkable execution. The Andante flowed easily, melodically while the Presto agitato poured forth with frothy agitation.

At the conclusion, the applause was loud and long enough to coax the quartet back for an encore: the third of a set of minuets by Schubert.

This was, withal, a remarkable evening. Wonderful.