Franz Schubert: String Quintet in C Major (D. 956, Op. 163)
Enrico Bronzi: Cello
Who said January was quiet in Rome? Well, I may have, but I was quickly proved wrong lately with not only a terrific performance by the orchestra and chorus of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia a couple of weeks ago, but also by the endlessly globe-trotting Austrian Hagen Quartet last Wednesday night at the same Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone, whose close proximity to my apartment was particularly appreciated for the latter since the concert was scheduled to start at the ungodly hour of 8:30 PM.
But how could right-minded music afficionados resist a double bill featuring Schumann and Schubert? Turned out not many did, as I found out a week or so before the concert, when I was informed by email that it had been moved from the small Sala Sinopoli to the medium-sized Sala Petrassi. The heart-warming change was not without its challenges though, as many audience members apparently had not realized that a different venue meant a different seat, or had not checked the message at all. But thanks to the ever-patient ushers, everybody eventually found their seat and the performance finally got underway.
Schumann’s String Quartet, Op. 41, No. 3 has probably one of the dreamiest openings of the entire chamber music repertoire, and as expertly played by the as-tight-as-ever Hagen Quartet (Practice does make perfect, and they’ve had over four decades of it), it certainly had a wonderfully calming effect on the audience who just a few minutes before was still in the throes of utter confusion. And it only got better from there.
Although Schumann dedicated his Op. 41 to his friend Felix Mendelssohn, the influence of the usual suspects that are Mozart and Beethoven were clearly felt as well, and in the best possible way, of course. The work’s infinite complexity and its wide variety of ideas, as well as its inherent attractiveness, makes it a joy to hear it over and over again, and Wednesday’s glowing performance was no exception.
Since Schumann’s half of the program was only about 30 minutes, it felt like the intermission came a bit early, but then again, it was needed for audience and musicians since the Schubert’s half would clock in at about 50 minutes. And what 50 minutes! I think that neophytes and connoisseurs would all agree that only one listen to the String Quintet in C Major explains why it has been called “epic” and “extraordinary”, among many other superlatives. Moreover, the fact that it was written shortly before Schubert’s untimely death, and neglected for 25 years, makes you wonder how many other classical music masterpieces lie somewhere in undeserved obscurity, but let’s not get side-tracked.
Back to the Sala Petrassi on Wednesday evening, the sense of awe routinely produced by a live interpretation of the work quickly filled the concert hall as the Hagen Quartet and their special guest cellist Enrico Bronzi confidently delivered a technically flawless, emotionally gripping and, maybe even more important in this case, seamlessly unified, performance of Schubert’s masterpiece. I mean, it cannot be an easy task for an Italian musician to fit in so well into such a highly Germanic affair, but Bronzi nailed it.
One of the most striking characteristics of Schubert’s stunning composition, besides its unusual length and the bold addition of a cello, is the seemingly bottomless well of ideas the tireless composer drew inspiration from. As it was coming to life in front of us on Wednesday night, the quintet’s expansive range of moods, from exquisite Viennese gemütlichkeit to irrepressible death-related terror to infectious folk-music exuberance, not to mention its sheer beauty, made it an exciting ride as well as a poignant swan song. And a priceless gift to us.
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