Musica Viva. Adelaide Town Hall. 15 Sep 2016
Music and politics are not uncommon sparring partners. To name a few, think of Beethoven striking the name of Napoleon from the dedication of his Third Symphony, or Shostakovich against Stalin, or Hitler espousing Wagner to say nothing of Wagner’s own anti-Semitism.
There are many other examples, and most recently Adelaide saw a living breathing example of politics knocking heads with music in the form of a small group of demonstrators at the main entrance to the Adelaide Town Hall to greet concertgoers arriving for a performance by the famed Jerusalem Quartet, a premier musical institution of world renown.
Brandishing placards, the demonstrators handed out pamphlets exhorting the public not to attend the concert thereby sending a “clear message to the Israeli government that its cultural ambassadors, the Jerusalem Quartet, will not be welcomed by international communities until there is a just peace in Palestine.”
Hmm…
Regardless of what one thinks about the Israel-Palestine conflict, and how to resolve it, it would seem that most if not all concertgoers politely disregarded the demonstrators, put aside politics, and went inside and enjoyed the concert, and what a concert it was: Beethoven’s youthful String Quartet No.6, Ross Edward’s carefree String Quartet No. 3 Summer Dances, and Dvorak’s mighty String Quartet No. 13.
The Jerusalem Quartet gave a text book performance of balance and harmony between the instruments. There were no surprises with their interpretations, and each composition was elegantly performed with warmth and persuasion. The authority of the cello was evident in the melancholic adagio fourth movement of the Beethoven.
Ross Edwards, who was present at the performance, introduced his own composition to the audience and commented on the “sublime acoustic” of the Adelaide Town Hall. This was especially palpable in the final Ecstatic Dance movement with the violins producing birdsong-like sounds that were reminiscent of his ‘maninya style’ in his Violin Concerto. This composition was a highlight of the evening.
Dvořák’s thirteenth string quartet is almost symphonic in character, lasting around thirty-five minutes, and the Jerusalem Quartet allowed the piece’s inbuilt energy and sundry bohemian moods to come to the fore in what was a stimulating performance.
Kym Clayton
When: 15 Sep
Where: Adelaide Town Hall
Bookings: Closed
