Concert Review: Parker Quartet

Concert Review: Parker Quartet

3 April, 2011, Flushing Town Hall
Parker Quartet
Haydn/Kurtag/Brahms
(Carnegie Hall presents)

Parker Quartet Official Site

No matter your inclinations, New Yorkers are spoilt for choices. On this day, I had to choose between this concert and the Ebene Quartet at Manhattan's Town Hall. Since subway maintenance made a trip into town more difficult, I chose to stay within my neighborhood, and it marked the first time I was inside the charming and historic Flushing Town Hall.

The Parker Quartet, one of those upcoming ensembles that play both classics as well as modern music, have garnered excellent reviews wherever they go. The ensemble also reflect the trend in chamber music of an increasing number of musicians with Asian roots, one of the reasons why I went also.

The opening Haydn Op 74/1 immediately struck me as masterly playing. As someone said in one of their video clips, if you can play Haydn you can play anything. Daniel Chong led well with determined but supple phrasing. It is a tribute to him, and the ensemble, that nothing stuck out as in lesser Haydn playing, which happens more than often even to famous ensembles. The limelight was at times stolen by the wonderfully soulful playing of violist Jessica Bodner. The steady second violinist Karen Kim and the vigorous playing of cellist Kee-Hyun Kim filled out the wonderful ensemble sound.

Then came Kurtag's 12Microludes, which were miniatures that can perhaps be enjoyed only in the concert hall. I feel these do not quite measure up to Webern's efforts, but they were enjoyable.

Without intermission, the quartet gave a fluent reading of Brahms Op 51/2. The often dense textures of Brahms were rendered with utter lucidity, the playing crisp but refined and unhurried. If these young players did not linger on the romantic or "autumnal" aspects, they managed to avoid heaviness and never risked sounding portentous.

Judged by their Haydn and Brahms, whose quartets are most difficult to bring off, the players are mature beyond their years, surely an ensemble to watch, and savor.