November 3, 2024
Spivey Hall
Morrow, GA – USA
Calidore String Quartet (Jeffrey Myers & Ryan Meehan, violins; Jeremy Berry, viola; Estelle Choi, cello); Gabriela Montero, piano, piano.
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN: String Quartet No. 5 in A Major, Op. 18 No. 5
Gabriela MONTERO: “Canaima” Quintet for Piano and Strings
Antonín DVOŘÁK: Piano Quintet No. 2 in A Major, Op. 81,B. 155
Mark Gresham | 14 NOV 2024
The Calidore String Quartet joined forces with Venezuelan pianist and composer Gabriela Montero, in her Spivey Hall debut, on Sunday, November 3 at for a program that blended classic and contemporary voices. Presenting works by Beethoven, Montero herself, and Dvořák, the concert highlighted the quartet’s precision and Montero’s dynamic performance style, captivating an audience already familiar with both the Calidore Quartet’s artistry and the hall’s pristine acoustics.
The Calidore String Quartet — violinists Jeffrey Myers and Ryan Meehan, violist Jeremy Berry, and cellist Estelle Choi — opened with Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 5 in A Major, Op. 18, No. 5. As one of Beethoven’s earlier quartets, this piece reflects his admiration for Mozart while showcasing his growing independence as a composer. Structured as a homage to Mozart’s String Quartet in A Major, K. 464, it retains a formal clarity characteristic of Classical style but introduces Beethoven’s own boldness and rhythmic drive.
The Calidore Quartet brought out these nuances with an interpretation that combined elegance and vigor. They performed the opening “Allegro” with a refined warmth that allowed Beethoven’s melodies to unfold gracefully. In the Minuet, the quartet balanced lyrical subtlety with rhythmic precision, capturing Beethoven’s wit and lightness. The third movement, “Andante cantabile,” provided a poignant contrast, with the ensemble emphasizing qualities that would later define Beethoven’s more mature work. The buoyant themes of the closing “Allegro” sparkled with energy.
Gabriela Montero (credit: Anders Brogaard)
The centerpiece of the evening was Montero’s own Canaima: Quintet for Piano and Strings, an homage to her Venezuelan homeland’s natural beauty and complex socio-political fabric. The four-movement quintet was co-commissioned by Spivey Hall as a part of its new initiative to more directly support the creation of new music. Named after the Canaima National Park — a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its dramatic landscapes — the new piano quintet combines elements of Venezuelan folk traditions with contemporary textures. It opens with a slow, reflective theme that seems to echo the grandeur of Canaima’s landscape, moving from reverent stillness to passages of fervent rhythmic intensity.
Montero’s piano playing in Canaima was deeply expressive, shifting between delicate touches and forceful chords that portrayed Venezuela’s beauty and turbulence. The Calidore Quartet’s accompaniment was equally evocative, with the players contributing rich harmonic textures that underscored the composition’s emotional depth. Together, they conveyed a palpable tension that swelled and receded, mimicking the cyclical rhythm of nature and reflecting the challenges facing Venezuela today.
Montero and the Calidore Quartet closed the program with Dvořák’s Piano Quintet No. 2 in A Major, Op 81, a work cherished for its warmth, vibrant rhythmic vitality, and Slavic influences, embodying Dvořák’s love of Czech folk music, evident in both its melodic richness and its rhythmic ingenuity. The opening “Allegro” was infused with a lyrical warmth, as the ensemble wove together themes of tenderness and spirited energy. In the Dumka, a slow, melancholic movement typical of Eastern European folk music, Montero’s gentle phrasing on the piano lent a contemplative tone, echoed by the strings’ rich timbre. The quintet allowed this poignant music to breathe, giving each phrase a sense of quiet introspection.
The third movement, a scherzotic Furiant, brought a dramatic shift with its driving dance rhythms and sharp accents, embodying the liveliness of Czech folk dance. Montero’s nimble playing underscored the ensemble’s cohesion as they navigated the movement’s syncopations and dynamic contrasts. With the Finale, the quintet brought the piece to a celebratory close, with a recurring theme that exuded joy and rhythmic exuberance. ■
EXTERNAL LINKS:
- Calidore String Quartet: https://www.calidorestringquartet.com/
- Gabriela Montero: gabrielamontero.com
- Spivey Hall: spiveyhall.org
Read more by Mark Gresham.
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