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Brodsky Quartet at opening concert of Music on the Moor 9th July 2025

 


A full house at the opening concert  of a new festival on Bodmin Moor - this event hosted at Lavethan House by Blisland Village.   The programme was entitled "Inner Music" because one senses the works chosen invite consideration of biography and reflection.  The Brodsky's gave a subtle performance of Haydn's Quartet in C op 54 no 2 followed by the Bedrich Smetana "From my Life" quartet  no 1 in E minor which is full of middel-European panache, chutzpah and character and variety but also tragedy.   With Krysia Osostowicz's introduction outlining the shape of Smetana's own biography: early fame, joy in dancing and living in a hugely admiring public life and then debilitating tinnitus followed by confinement and seclusion for his mental health.  The work full of joy and fun and dance portrays a diverting character but strident tones brings all to a profound silence and abrupt cut off.  

The final work was the late Beethoven quartet in E flat op 127.   For the auditor one finds oneself listening to the inner dialogue between the parts as this does seem to be a highly conversational work:  the mind is trying to find meaning and coherence to the ideas and then being distracted by further invention and speed of delivery before resolution - we have the benefit of 20th century and 21st century musical experience ...but it must have been shocking when first played and continues (for me) to challenge. Keeping track of the myriad of themes, contrasts,  clips and bedazzling way Beethoven's hive mind keeps us on our toes.  As players one realises that the quartet  have thought  a great deal in rehearsal and over years of performing this seminal work in performance - lending it a collective and for them coherent understanding ....... does that change between repetitions over the years?   As auditors we have the protean shape of Beethoven's thinking to compute but also the appreciation of the nuances of performance and balance and shade and contour that the players of differen character bring to the mix (quite different character I would venture).  For me its still a little enigmatic in the moment.  Should we attempt "understanding" or simply allow our mind to wander around the musical structures and open itself to its otherness.   

So for the challenge suggested in the title "Inner Music" I suggest the concert was as successful as the audience clearly felt at the end of this delightful and stimulating evening.


Tim Smithies


Brodsky String Quartet

Krysia Osostowicz and Ian Belton - violins

Paul Cassidy - viola

Jacqueline Thomas - cello


Full programme lavethan.co.uk/music-on-the-moor



Photograph of Brodsky taken at the concert in St Just in Roseland Church, nr St Mawes in May 2025 as part of Roseland Music Society series.  Two concerts in as many months!



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