Germany Shostakovich Festival Leipzig [6]: Quatuor Danel (Marc Danel [first violin], Gilles Millet [second violin], Vlad Bogdanas [viola], Yovan Markovich [cello]). Mendelssohn Hall, Gewandhaus, Leipzig, 17.5.2025. (GT)
Shostakovich – Quartet No.2 in A major, Op.68; Allegretto from Unfinished Quartet, Quartet No.9 in E major, Op.117
Shostakovich’s First Quartet of 1938 was a happy, joyful piece that reflects on his family life of the time. He had recovered too from the depressive years of the criticism of his Lady Macbeth opera. It seemed that life was improving, and it was only in 1944 that he returned to the quartet genre with his extensive and tragic Second Quartet.
The opening of the Second Quartet in A major (Overture. Moderato con moto) was striking in its idiom with a plaintive yet increasingly urgent theme on the violin of Marc Danel, which became even more dramatic as the viola, second violin, and the cello enter the overwhelmingly tragic portent of this masterly piece. The second idea from the cello of Yovan Markovitch was soulful, yet struggle appeared between the violins and the viola. In the second movement (Recitative and Romance: Adagio) there was a lighter tone in several declamatory passages of a more emotional musical language. Again, Danel’s playing was intensely tragic with irregular intrusions from the other players; the music appears to almost disappear before the first violin again intones the desperately, tragic idea.
The third movement (Waltz. Allegro) began with a darkly sinister idea on the cello that alluded to the, yet unperformed, Fourth Symphony. This was picked up by the other instruments in a more expansive expression, while the fourth movement (Theme and Variations) quoted from Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov (for which Shostakovich had written a new orchestration) with the cello sounding darkly tragic. The viola introduced a livelier pace, and the violin introduced an old song, leading to a passage of fiercely violent playing by the first violin before the beautifully peaceful close.
The Allegretto from an unfinished quartet was written between his masterful Eighth Quartet of 1960, and the Ninth of 1964. The violin and cello opened a shadowy theme followed by Marc Danel introducing a charming passage which became increasingly intense, and the tone became more edgy with glimpses of emotion. The seven minutes duration of this piece allowed us to gain an insight into the composer’s life when his personal life was happier as a new phase entered his life with revivals of his Lady Macbeth and the premiere of the Fourth Symphony.
The Ninth Quartet opened (Moderato con moto) with a longing idea which transformed into a tentative and often sad reflection before switching into something more entertaining as if from the playground. The passage then developed into an intensely tragic march: this sequence of playing was quartet mastery at the highest level. The second movement (Adagio) introduced a mourning idiom by all four players, and the two violins shared a tragically intense idea which became reflective and almost surreal on the violin of Danel. In the Allegretto his first violin then introduced a bracingly cheeky idea which was picked up by the quartet playing at an amazingly fast tempo, as each musician took up the invigorating theme.
Without a break, the fourth movement (Adagio) introduced a more reflective tone, and a fresh idea on the cello was contrasted by the plucked strings, heralding a desperately miserable theme heard on the violin. At once, in the Allegro this spell of monotony was broken by a march-like tempo with the reprisal of other themes from previous movements. There then emerged seeming tranquillity and stability, giving a feeling of suppressed tension before the frantically dramatic finale.
This concert proved a fascinating opening to the chamber music section of Leipzig’s great Shostakovich Festival. It was quite clear that the Quatuor Danel are a highly talented ensemble superbly led by their first violin Marc Danel, a truly gifted master.
Gregor Tassie
Featured Image: Quatuor Danel playing previously in Leipzig © Emilian Tsubaki