The Formosa String Quartet, a young and impressive set of musicians, three of whom are Taiwanese, performed a concert of 19th Century Czech and 21st Century Chinese-American music at White Recital Hall on January 31.

The Quartet opened the program with a 2007 composition by 46-year-old Shi-Hui Chen, entitled the Mei Hua string quartet (meaning "Plum Blossoms"), written for this group of players. 

The composer seemingly tried to get every unusual sound possible from two violins, a viola and a cello, calling upon the players to vigorously pluck the strings, swoop the notes, bounce their bows, perform rapid staccato and engage in almost every other kind of challenging technique. 

The first movement was aggressive, each player taking his turn with difficult virtuosic music, the performers seeming to be almost in competition with one another rather than playing in sympathy. The second movement, a scherzo, revealed a more typical kind of composition, with the players often performing in unison. The third movement opened with an impressive violin solo, soon joined by the cello for a duet, against the plucking accompaniment of the other players. The languid sounds of the movement led to a gradual ending as the piece faded away.

Unlike the music of some other contemporary Chinese-American composers which sounds more Chinese than American, Chen's composition showed no apparently Eastern influences or chord patterns. It certainly tested the technical skills of the ensemble, however, which the Formosa Quartet mastered with apparent ease.

The remainder of the program was devoted to two fine works by the 19th Century Czech masters Bedrich Smetana and Antonin Dvorak.

In the autobiographical Smetana work, the Quartet No. 1 in E Minor, titled From my Life, the cello excelled in rich low tones with the violins and viola each expressing Smetana's very Eastern European melodies beautifully. The second movement, a lively polka, was the most impressive of the Quartet's reading, but the rich and romantic largo of the third movement was also moving, as was the spirited vivace at the end.

For the second half of the program the quartet was joined by violist Scott Lee of the UMKC Conservatory faculty for the Dvorak String Quintet in E-flat Major, a product of the composer's American visit in the 1890's. Dvorak wrote the piece while relaxing among his fellow Bohemians in the Czech colony of Spillville, Iowa, where he spent the happiest times of his American sojourn. This so-called "American" quartet betrays little of American influence, however, instead featuring much of the rich Romantic European writing for which Dvorak was so famous.

A central theme moved throughout the piece, played by various solo instruments and in combination of others. The second movement allegro was spirited and moving, but Dvorak may have been at his best in the rich slow melodies of the larghetto with its constantly changing major/minor keys and moods. The finale showed the quartet diving into the allegro with great gusto. The piece ended with bows flying in the most American-sounding music of the composition.

The Formosa Quartet showed itself to have a great sensitivity to both their modern compatriot and the older Czech masters, and certainly possesses more than enough technical virtuosity to go around. A standing ovation was the group's reward.


REVIEW:
UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance
Formosa String Quartet
Saturday, January 31at 7:30 p.m.
White Recital Hall, 
4949 Cherry, Kansas City, MO
 www.conservatory.umkc.edu 

By Don Dagenais

City Classics Music and Dance Columnist; Classical Contributor

A lifelong classical music fan, Don Dagenais is a frequent preview speaker for the Lyric Opera of Kansas City and has taught classical music and opera courses at several Kansas City venues. He has served on the boards of directors of a number of performing arts organizations including the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, the Lyric Opera Guild, UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance, Opera Volunteers International, the Civic Opera Theater of Kansas City, Inspiration Point Fine Arts Colony, Octarium, and the Friends of the Symphony.  He has been the past president of most of these organizations and is current the president of the Friends of the Symphony. 

Dagenais co-authored a history of the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, published on the occasion of its 50th anniversary (2007) and has written books on the histories of both the Lyric Opera Guild and Opera Volunteers International, as well as an introductory book for opera novices (Your Passport to the Opera).  He has received several local and national awards for outstanding volunteer work for the arts, including a lifetime achievement award from The Coterie Theatre in 2000, the Kansas City Musical Club's annual award in 2001, a Partners in Excellence Award from Opera Volunteers International in 2002, a Bravo Award from Opera Volunteers International in 2004 and a community service award from the Daughter of the American Revolution in 2008 honoring him for his community service to the arts.

In addition to his music interests, Don is president of the board of directors for the Metropolitan Ensemble Theater and has served on the boards of The Coterie Theatre and the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, serving as president of each organization.  He publishes newsletters for seven arts organizations.  When not involved in the performing arts, Don is a senior real estate attorney with Lathrop & Gage LLP in Kansas City, Missouri, where he has practiced law since 1976 after graduating from the Cornell Law School.