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Fans of the Accorda Quartet filled the Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel in Parkville Friday night to hear the opening of the new season series titled 'Sounds of France - Three Centuries of Musical Masterpieces'.  The Accorda Quartet, in tune with the name of the program it represents, The International Center for Music at Park University, features the artistry of Japanese born violinist Kanako Ito, Lithuanian-Israeli violinist Ben Sayevich, Korean-born violist Chung-Hoon Peter Chung and British-born cellist Martin Storey.

After a brief welcome given by cellist Storey, the familiar opening violin melody of the Ravel String Quartet in F major, bathed in liquid beauty of tone by Ito, sounded what were to be the best moments of the first movement.  Intonation discrepancies in the accompanying instruments threw off the blend of tonal warmth for which this Quartet is renowned and unnerved the accuracy of their ensemble entries, as well.  Only in the final measures of the first movement did the Accorda arrive at their accustomed niveau of excellence, as if a bumpy shift in mindset from the German language of Schubert that they performed all last season, and of Brahms the year before was required before the French inflections of Ravel could emerge.  The pizzicato tones that passed from Storey's cello to Chung's viola in the ending measures formed an elegant arc in a perfect setup for the music that followed.

Ito's warm tone sang the opening violin melody of the second movement above the tight rhythmic pizzicato accompaniment. The Accorda relaxed into the rich sonorities of the development section with tonal beauty, and the shimmering figures that followed were played in perfect synch. Storey's cello melody was especially lovely against Chung's viola and Sayevich's violin accompaniment.

In the third movement, the Accorda beckoned the audience into the realm of the sublime. An advantage of getting to watch the artists rather than merely listen on CD was clearly demonstrated, as well.  Violist Chung played the opening melody in cello range with such a full body of tone that if one had only been listening and not watching, it might have been mistaken for a cello solo.  In testimony to the perfect artistic partnering of Accorda's members, Storey played his free-form cello solo written in viola range as beautifully as Chung the violist; Ito played her violin solo written in viola range as richly as Chung; Chung played his viola solo written in violin range as sonorously as Ito the violinist; Sayevich played his violin solo in full resounding cello range over which Chung played a duet accompaniment in violin range.  The Accorda accomplished a grand continuity of line amid effortless volleys that built up to a steamy climax towards the middle of the movement.  Superbly matched ebbing shimmers played in perfect synch drew the audience into a languid afterglow that gradually faded to the end of the movement, after which softly released sighs of satisfaction emanated from the hushed audience.

The agitated opening of the fourth movement startled the audience awake from that dreamy spell, and the work ended in a stirring finale.

Violinist Ben Sayevich and his bride, Lolita Lisovskaya-Sayevich took the stage next with Maurice Ravel's Sonata for Violin and Piano in G major.  Lisovskaya-Sayevich played the solo piano opening with exquisite nuance and beauty of tone, and she provided an astounding match to Sayevich's silvery tone and interpretative brilliance throughout the piece.

Ravel is known to have said of the piece, "In the writing of the Sonata for Violin and Piano, two fundamentally incompatible instruments, I assumed the task, far from bringing their differences into equilibrium, of emphasizing their irreconcilability through their independence."  Ravel didn't have the good fortune to hear this duo.  Where Lisovskaya-Sayevich left off with her beautiful liquid piano tone, Sayevich continued as one voice in the silvery glimmer of his violin, and vice versa.  Their uncanny unity of artistic vision resulted in an impassioned interpretation of the piece.     

The second movement, Blues: Moderato began with solo pizzicato strums from Sayevich in one key, answered by Lisovskaya-Sayevich on the piano with staccato strums that mirrored exactly the violin statement in a different tonality.  The movement included jazzy violin slides, supported by the piano with sensitivity at every turn. 

The third movement, Perpetuum mobile, Allegro was played with full throttle drive.  A virtuoso showcase for Sayevich's formidable technique, he was more than equal to the task.  One of my favorite parts was the glissando in the piano midway in the movement that seemed to spur Sayevich on into the brilliant unremitting blaze in which the piece ended.

After intermission, the Accorda Quartet presented the String Quartet in G minor Op. 10 by Claude Debussy.  The luxurious warmth of the opening chords played in spotless intonation commanded the full attention of the audience from beginning to end.  Triplet figures played together perfectly and tight ensemble chords delivered with ringing tonal splendor factored in to the remarkable reading. Wave upon wave of musical intensity created by this powerhouse of an ensemble drew the listener in to an illuminating experience of Debussy.

The second movement opened to a driving pizzicato triplet figure that ran throughout.  The gusto with which Ito dug into her violin solo in the development was counterbalanced by the calm pizzicato accompaniment of cellist, Storey.  A frequent visitor at Park University concerts made its unwelcome presence known at that moment with the passing of a train outside, lending for once a not altogether rude ambient rustle to the background.

The third movement of the Debussy quartet was without question the high point of the evening. The Quartet's gorgeous blend supported Ito's luminous muted violin solo that she passed seamlessly to cellist Storey, and Chung brought introspective genius to the viola part. The masterful interplay of nuance interwoven throughout revealed the Accorda at its scrumptious best.

Mutes came off for the fourth movement that began with a dreamy cello statement.  At the conclusion of the work, the full house rose as one to recognize Quartet Accorda's efforts, music-making at its exciting best.   

REVIEW:
The International Center for Music and Park University
Sounds of France 
Quartet Accorda with Lolita Lisovskaya-Sayevich, piano
September 18, 2009.
Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel, Park University
8700 NW River Park Dr., Parkville, MO
Visit www.park.edu/ata for more information

By Gayle G. Hathorne

Classical and Vocal Contributor (Past writer)