Isidore String Quartet balances intellect and lyricism in DACAMERA’s third Schubert Perspective concert

Lawrence Wheeler | 8 APR 2026

Monday evening, DACAMERA presented the Isidore String Quartet at the Menil Collection in Houston, Texas. Titled “Schubert Perspective #3,” the program included works by Bach, Brahms, Ligeti, and Schubert. Named after Isidore Cohen, the legendary second violinist of the Juilliard String Quartet, the Isidore String Quartet has experienced a meteoric rise since winning the Banff International String Quartet Competition in 2022, followed by an Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2023. Their stated mission—to “revisit, rediscover, and reinvigorate the repertory”—was very much on display.

The program began with four choral works by J. S. Bach and Johannes Brahms, arranged for string quartet by violist Devin Moore. Moore’s program notes stated that the work “is structured to evoke the traditional layout of the Tridentine Mass,” and that “the program reflects a core aesthetic of Brahms: the reverent blending of old and new, in which tradition becomes a foundation for renewed artistic voice.” That description is applicable not only to this arrangement but to the quartet’s program as a whole, wherein an avant-garde quartet is coupled with one of the most recognized string quartets in the canon.

The combination of Bach and Brahms feels quite natural—both composers were masters of counterpoint and harmony; both wrote extensively for voices; and both were among the greatest traditionalists of their time. These brilliant arrangements were the ideal vehicle for Isidore’s luminous, blended sound, which, coupled with pristine intonation, filled the warmly resonant space. Minimal use of vibrato contributed to a solemn and reverential feel and enhanced the stylistic similarities between the two composers. While outside traditional string quartet repertory, this is a welcome new addition.

With at least a dozen recordings, György Ligeti’s Second String Quartet has received uncommon attention for an avant-garde composition. The Parker String Quartet, which appeared at DACAMERA just nine days ago, received the 2011 Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance for its recording of Ligeti’s string quartets. A piece of uncommon technical difficulty, it is equally challenging for the listener. As is often the case with new music, it may take time for audiences to catch up with the artistic creations of composers and their performers. Despite a thoroughly committed and well-executed performance by the Isidore String Quartet, the audience response was more polite than enthusiastic.

Part of the challenge for the listener lies in Ligeti’s compositional method. Rather than traditional forms, Ligeti relates form to motion—each movement departs from the “same musical idea,” which develops into different kinds of motion. Each of the quartet’s five movements follows the same formal plan, although on the surface they display widely different characteristics of expression and technique. The overall form emerges when one listens to all five movements in context. This micropolyphonic compositional technique runs counter to listeners accustomed to 30-second commercials and even shorter sound bites.

Another challenge is Ligeti’s use of microtonality, or pitches between the half-steps heard on a piano. Traditional harmony provides a point of reference for a start, departure, and return; often, that is not provided. The same applies to rhythm, which can offer a constant, followable beat. Ligeti blurs those reference points with diffuse and conflicting pulses. Emotion is superseded by state of mind. The result: we are compelled to go beyond the literal and the predictable—to enter our subconscious and realms of imagination. His music is both intellectual and amusing, but we must meet it halfway. With musical conversations that encompassed the softest dynamics to fierce gesticulations, the Isidore String Quartet gave a stellar presentation of the Ligeti.

Schubert’s “Rosamunde” Quartet closed the program, offering a return to lyricism and formal clarity. Yet the contrast also exposed interpretive questions. First violinist Adrian Steele led an unusually restrained reading of the opening movement, with minimal vibrato and a notably austere expressive palette. While this may have aimed at historical sensitivity, it came at the expense of emotional breadth. Given the work’s proximity to Death and the Maiden and Schubert’s deteriorating health at the time, a greater sense of urgency and depth seemed warranted. Intimacy here too often tipped into preciousness.

The second movement, however, was beautifully realized with its well-known theme and Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony–like rhythm. There, the sound was translucent and utterly beautiful, with harmonic color changes carefully outlined. Had the first movement been given a bit more weight, the contrast between tragic and hopeful would have been more compelling.

The “Menuetto” was lifted by the typically Viennese second-beat accents in the first violin. Cellist Joshua McClendon was excellent in the “Trio” arpeggios, adding a slight variation on the repeat. The fourth movement had nice energy, but the Hungarian flavor would have been enhanced by stronger second-beat accents from Steele. Phoenix Avalon provided support for Steele, leading when needed. Violist Devin Moore sparkled in his thirty-second-note and spiccato passages, continuing his virtually flawless playing throughout the evening. Even with excellent ensemble, balance, and intonation, the Schubert seemed underdeveloped. Finding no other performance mentions for this quartet, I am left to wonder if it was their first.

The encore—Samuel Araya’s arrangement of Florence Price’s Adoration—provided a more natural fit. With Phoenix Avalon stepping into the first violin role, the quartet relaxed into a warmer, more idiomatic sound, closing the evening on an elegant and satisfying note. ■

EXTERNAL LINKS:

• Isidore String Quartet: hisidorestringquartet.com
• DACAMERA: dacamera.com

About the author:

Lawrence Wheeler was a music professor for 44 years. He has served as principal viola with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, and Houston Grand Opera Orchestra, and guest principal with the Dallas and Houston symphonies. He has given recitals in London, New York, Reykjavik, Mexico City and Houston, and performed with the Tokyo, Pro Arte and St. Lawrence string quartets and the Mirecourt Trio. His concert reviews have been published online on The Classical Review and Slipped Disc.

Read more by Lawrence Wheeler.

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