Now in their 22nd year, the Pavel Haas Quartet continue to impress with their sheer dedication and virtuosic intensity, and tonight was no exception. Their all-Czech programme at the Wigmore offered three quartets spanning 50 plus years of Czech composition, with the lesser known Vítězslava Kaprálová sitting alongside Martinů and Dvořák.
Bohuslav Martinů published seven string quartets, and the Third came at the end of a period of experimentation in his composition, strongly influenced by jazz, neoclassicism and Stravinsky, as well as Les Six. Jazzy rhythms abound in the opening movement, whilst the bluesy viola dominates the central slow movement. There are jazz elements in the finale, although it is spikier and highly virtuosic, building to a crazy wild dance conclusion. Peter Jarůšek’s pizzicato cello against Šimon Truszka’s col legno viola (bow wood hitting the strings) set up the ominous first movement well, Jarůšek’s plucking motion developing into a full windmill as the movement built. The viola features prominently throughout, and Truszka gave a richly sensuous tone to the slow movement’s bluesy solo, as well as driving the setup for the finale’s dance.
Vitězslava Kaprálová, born in Brno in 1915, was a highly talented composer and conductor. She met Martinů in Prague in 1937 and he was immediately impressed, encouraging her to more to Paris to continue her studies with him. After a brief return to Czechoslovakia, she went back to Paris just before the Nazis marched into Prague. Then, following the German invasion of France, and now seriously unwell, she left for Montpellier, where she sadly died, possibly of typhoid fever. Her many song, chamber and orchestral works included just the one string quartet. Heavily inspired by Moravian folk music, angular rhythmic energy combines with rich French harmonies, and there are beautifully lyrical moments too, especially for the first violin. Jarůšková gave these moments a delicate touch, whilst ensemble in the second movement particularly, with its frequent changes in tempo and rapid pizzicato passages, was effortlessly tight. And after a tender conclusion to the slow movement, the finale danced away, building to a joyful climax, the Haas players proving powerful advocates for this strikingly individual quartet.
Dvořák’s String Quartet no. 11 in C major was composed somewhat in a hurry, as he discovered that the Hellmesberger Quartet were planning to premiere it sooner than he had expected at Vienna’s Ringtheater in 1881. He set aside work on his opera Dimitrij to focus on the quartet, although in the event, fire destroyed the Ringtheater, so the premiere had to wait. Less overtly Czech influenced than its immediate predecessor, the folksy trio of the Scherzo and the energetic dancing finale nevertheless have strong folk vibes. The opening movement is perhaps more suited to Viennese audiences, but the thrumming viola lead up to the watery climax, and the final coda race are Dvořák at his most spirited. The players’ flowing momentum, with some especially poised birdlike calls from Jarůšková, and their sheer enjoyment in the rousing lead into the recapitulation communicated perfect elegance and style, before subsiding into its quiet final chords. Then the delicately lilting slow movement gave the players the perfect opportunity to showcase their warmly rich ensemble tones, although without ignoring the darker elements here, such as the semitone oscillations from cello and viola, leading to darkly sliding chords from all, and the tolling second violin over the movement’s final chords adding an edge of unease.
The Pavel Haas Quartet performed throughout with such ease of command, never overstated yet full of life and commitment, making for a joyous celebration of these three fine works.
