First violinist of Quartet, Alexander Pavlovsky, a graduate of the Jerusalem Academy of Music
and Dance and winner of the Ilona Kornhauser Award and first prize of the
Braun-Roger-Ziegel National Competition, has given master classes at the Royal
Academy of Music in London, National Academy of Music in Melbourne and Sydney
Conservatorium, Zeist Chamber Music Course in the Netherlands and Valladolid
Auditorium in Spain. Since 2008 he has been a faculty member at the Jerusalem
Academy of Music and Dance. Pavlovsky plays a J.F.Pressenda violin dating from
1824, lent by the Jerusalem Pressenda Syndicate.
Violinist, Sergei
Bresler was born in Ukraine in 1978 and started to play violin from the age
of five with Professor A Leschinsky, giving his first recital at the age of
twelve. In 1991, he emigrated to Israel where he continued his studies in the
Jerusalem Rubin Music Conservatory with Professor M Liberman and, later, with
Haim Taub. Bresler has given master classes in many venues such as the Royal
Academy of Music in London, Sydney Conservatory, Melbourne Australian Academy
of Music, Cleveland Institute of Music and the Jerusalem Music Centre. Bresler
plays on a 1770 Lorenzo Storioni violin lent by the America-Israel Culture
Foundation, donated to the Foundation by Isaac Stern.
Violist Ori Kam
was born in California and grew up between the United States and Israel. He
started his musical Education at the age of six and began playing the viola at
fifteen, studying in Israel with Chaim Taub and, later, with Pinchas Zukerman
and Patinka Kopec at the Manhattan School of Music in New York. Kam has been
the winner of several awards and prizes including The Swiss Prize at the Geneva
International Music Competition, The "Paganini" Prize in the International
Lionel Tertis Competition and the winner of the 1995 Concerto Competition at
the Manhattan School of Music. Kam is now on the faculty of the Geneva
University of Music. Kam plays a viola made in 2009 by Hiroshi Iizuka.
Cellist Kyril
Zlotnikov was born in Minsk, Belarus and began his studies at the Belarusian
State Music Academy with Professor Vladimir Perlin. He continued his studies in
Israel with Professor Uzi Wiesel and Hillel Zori, completing his musical
education under the direction of Professor Michael Khomitzer at the Jerusalem
Rubin Academy of Music and Dance. He has won a number of prizes including the
Clairmont Competition, the Braun-Roger Siegl Competition and the Pierre Tarcali
Prize. Zlotnikov enjoys an artistic collaboration with conductor Daniel
Barenboim having, since 2003, been a principal cellist and a teacher of the
cello group at the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra and has recorded the complete
Mozart piano trios with Daniel Barenboim and Nikolaj Znaider. Zlotnikov plays a
1710 Giovanni Battista Ruggieri cello which is loaned to him from a private
collection.
The Jerusalem Quartet
www.jerusalem-quartet.com record
exclusively for Harmonia Mundi www.harmoniamundi.com who
have just released their recording of Janacek’s two string quartets coupled
with Smetana’s first string quartet.
 |
| HMC 902178 |
Bedřich Smetana (1824-1884) wrote his String Quartet No.1 in E minor ‘Z mého života’ (From My Life) towards
the end of 1876. He wrote that he had no intention of writing a quartet
according to ‘the customary formulas’ and that for him the design of the
quartet would depend on its subject. The subject for each movement would be (1)
Youth, (2) A Polka reminding him of the dance music he wrote in his youth, (3)
First love and (4) His joy in nationalistic music and onset of deafness.
The opening Allegro
vivo appassionato immediately seems to connect the two composers on this
disc, gritty and passionate in the repeated rhythms. The Jerusalem Quartet, who
have a beautifully transparent sound, also bring a rather Dvorakian flow and
melody as well as tension and drama. They provide a terrific Allegro moderato a la Polka, with each
player responding to each other with such taut playing. There is a brilliantly
done trio section with its strange slow dance.
With the Largo
Sostenuto there is a lovely rich, deep opening from the cello before the
hushed beauty of this Largo arrives
with fine control of rubato, drawing exquisite poetry from this music, finely
controlled and paced, full of power and emotion. The bright, joyful Vivace is all that in the Jerusalem’s
hands with, again, the Quartet members responding so well to each other. There
is some terrific playing as the music heads to its dramatic later stages where
doubt seems to hit Smetana and the movement quietens with a subdued coda.
Leoŝ Janáček
(1854-1928) wrote both of his string quartets during his prolific late
period. The String Quartet No.1
‘Kreutzer Sonata’, dating from 1923, was inspired by Tolstoy’s novel ‘The
Kreutzer Sonata’, a story of passionate love, jealousy, violence and eventual
murder.
In the opening Adagi Con moto, Janáček’s harmonies show how, by
1923, he had developed from both his own early style and that of Smetana. The
Jerusalem Quartet bring so much feeling of angst to the music and handle the
sudden changes of tempo and dynamics so well, revealing so much of Janáček’s
unique expression of emotion. The seemingly innocent opening bars of the second
movement Con moto are soon broken up
to bring ghostly echoes of some emotional tragedy. I don’t think I’ve heard
this movement done better. There is some terrific playing in the ghostly string
harmonics.
The sad tune that opens Con
moto. Vivo. Andante is soon interrupted by the rapid wiry phrases
brilliantly played by this quartet. Even Janáček’s slow movements never seem to
avoid violent emotions. All the subtle little interruptions of the lovely, slow
quiet theme are beautifully handled. The finale Con moto. (Adagio). Più mosso opens quietly and gently, something
this Quartet do so well, with the melody subtly shifting from sweet to bittersweet
and back again. The Quartet builds the tension and passion to perfection. This
is fine playing indeed with these players really throwing themselves into this
music that is only just resolved at the end.
This is surely one of the finest performances of this
quartet yet recorded.
Janáček’s String
Quartet No.2 ‘Intimate Letters’ from 1928 relates to a more personal
passion, that of his unrequited love of a much younger woman, Kamilla
Stoesslová, a one sided love affair conducted through letters.
There is little calm in the first movement opening of the Andante. Con moto. Allegro, the drama is
there immediately. The drama and urgency is captured so well by the Jerusalem
Quartet, not just the obvious emotional thrust but the subtle little, haunting
quieter moments. Their passionate playing is never strident, beautifully done.
In the Adagio. Vivace, calm seems to
infuse the adagio’s bittersweet melody, so emotionally played that it becomes
heart rending. As the music becomes more impassioned, the almost schizophrenic
mood changes are wonderfully handled and what a finely judged coda they
provide.
A swaying, whimsical; melody hovering on the edge of peace
and tragedy infuses the third
movement Moderato. Andante. Adagio
with the Jerusalems handling this multi-faceted, schizophrenic music so well. If
Janáček’s own mood swings were so rapid and complex, it is a disturbing thought.
Just when the final Adagio seems to hold the calm mood, there is a sudden
outburst to end. The rhythmic finale Allegro.
Andante. Adagio seems almost jolly but there is a menace to it before it
quietens. As one follows Janáček’s every move and emotion, one tends to take the
Jerusalem Quartet’s vital playing for granted, surely a tribute to their fine
musicianship. The strangely haunting passages are brilliantly done, with an exquisite
hushed section part way through and such a passionate coda. Another terrific
performance.
The recording from the Teldex Studio, Berlin is exceptional
and there are informative booklet notes.
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