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The Takács Quartet has been one of a handful of top Quartets almost since its formation 34 years ago. The group is well known for its recordings of the Bartók and Beethoven quartets. In New York recently, the Takács performed all the Bartók Quartets, together with the Beethoven Opus 18 Quartets, to great acclaim. (A heads-up: The Friends of Chamber Music just announced that they are bringing the Takács to the Folly next season.)

Marc-Andre Hamelin is considered a titanic, almost superhuman piano virtuoso. He seems not to garner as much press as other, flashier pianists, and perhaps that's because he is given to exploring and recording the long-forgotten works of obscure 19th and early 20th century composers such as Alkan, Godowsky, Sorabji, Rzewski and more. I've been a big fan of Hamelin from his recordings (available on Hyperion, as are recordings by the Takács) and from an appearance at UMKC's White Recital Hall many years ago, and I was looking forward to hearing him in a chamber music context. As a side note, the Harriman-Jewell Series is bringing him to The Folly next year.  I would strongly recommend you get a ticket.

The Takács began with a late Haydn quartet, the Op. 77, No. 2. This was not the usual Haydn quartet filled with humor and wit, but more reflective and pointing toward the Romantic era. The Quartet produced a warm yet transparent sound that was somewhat dominated by the first violin, with the cello a little too much in the background for my taste.

Béla Bartók is considered one of the great composers of the 20th century. Less well known is his research into Hungarian folk music, which occupied him throughout his life, and these influences often made their way into his works. His Quartet No. 1, written in 1909, starts off as a funeral dirge, but the work gets lighter and faster, eventually ending quite joyously with hints of folk music. The Takács is justifiably famous for its interpretations of the Bartók quartets. Although not a big fan of the quartets, I was won over by the dramatic, impassioned performance.

Robert Schumann was one of the great Romantic composers, a noted pianist until a hand injury ended his performing career, an influential music critic, a mentor and friend to the young Johannes Brahms, and husband of Clara Schumann, who was one of the finest pianists of her time. His death at 46 was one of the tragedies of the classical music world.

When we think of great chamber music works, the piano quintets of Dvořák, Brahms, Shostakovich and others come to mind. It's hard to believe no romantic composer thought of the piano quintet combination before (piano and string quartet), but Schumann wrote what was perhaps the first great romantic piano quintet, and it is spectacular. The first movement begins with a joyous opening call; the second movement, in contrast, is funereal. The third movement is a modified minuet and trio whose main section is built only on rising and falling scales. The brilliant fourth movement is capped by a fugue that builds up inexorable momentum to the finish. This is one of my favorite chamber works. 
 
I have switched seats from the lower right side to the upper left side of Yardley Hall. I liked the sound much better upstairs; the balance of the strings was better, with the cello and viola sounding much stronger. The performance was a highly romantic one, with a lot of rubato (subtle tempo shifts), particularly from Hamelin. The contrasts in tempos and dynamics made me sit up and take notice, particularly in the third movement. I am used to a more straightforward performance of the Schumann Quintet, but this interpretation was perfectly valid. I also noticed things in the piano part of the second movement I had not noticed before in my recordings, partly due to the lovely transparent texture of the strings that let the piano part shine through. I think performers should be given wide latitude and that cookie-cutter interpretations are to be avoided. This was an interesting performance in the best sense of the word.
 
Two miscellaneous points worth mentioning: The program notes the Carlsen Center uses by Susan Halpern are excellent, and I hope they continue to carry them. The only drawback to the evening was the embarrassingly poor turnout. The hall was not even 25 percent full. Perhaps the Carlsen Center could give out free tickets to the student body and the faculty. Fortunately the small audience was an enthusiastic one. The Takács Quartet and Marc-Andre Hamelin deserved better.

REVIEW:
Carlsen Center at JCCC
Takács Quartet with Marc-Andre Hamelin, pianist
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Yardley Hall, Carlsen Center
Johnson County Community College

By Lee Goodman

Classical Contributor (Past writer)