LOCAL SCENE:

Four Men and Their Strings

Review: The world-renowned Tokyo String Quartet comes to the Wharton Center

Amanda Peterka, Editor-in-Chief

The stage was set simply – four chairs and four accompanying music stands, with a spotlight shining in the middle. The crowd was sparse – only about half of the lower level of seating full in the Wharton Center.

But the music heard on Friday night could be described as anything but simple and sparse.

It’s not often that the harmonies of some of the world’s greatest musicians can be heard at Michigan State. Yet on Friday the 13th, the Tokyo String Quartet, famed across the world since it was founded 40 years ago, played a three-quartet show that left the air ringing with the melodies of Beethoven, Bartok and Mendelssohn.

The music itself was poignant, gentle and dynamic, all at the same time. The real treasure, though, was seeing the four men – Martin Beaver and Kikuei Ikeda on the violin, Kazuhide Isomura on the viola and Clive Greensmith on the cello – move together as if they were in a dance, swaying to the music, their bows sliding up and down and their faces showing each note as it was played.

The group’s intimacy made the performance. Each member handed off the music to the next part, coming in unobtrusively and backing out again to let the other men take their turn. Their timing was flawless, and their movements completely fluid.

Their perfection didn’t make them egotistical, though. Their demeanors were unassuming, and they let themselves become the music. The hall could have been empty of a crowd, and they probably would have put as much into the music as they did.

Beethoven’s Quartet in B-flat Major was the first piece, and the beginning notes, even without the help of any microphones, filled the hall. Rustling stopped in the audience, and eyes were riveted to the stage.

From the beginning, cellist Greensmith was the focal point of attention. With the biggest instrument, Greensmith played with flair, his movements grandiose and his expressions constantly changing.

Beethoven’s piece, as with most of his works, was the longest and became a little repetitive near the end. The next piece, Bartok’s Quartet No. 6, was its antithesis. Bartok put a strain on the ears at times, with a lack of a clear melody and the usual prettiness associated with classical music. It was a conglomeration of sound, and while it was difficult to listen to, it only showed the real technical expertise of the instruments.

Even if you couldn’t appreciate Bartok, you came away from the piece with a new level of respect for the musicians. Their fingers flew, and they plucked their strings and made sounds with the instruments that sounded unnatural, yet beautiful, at the same time. Each part of the piece brought something new, and while the quartet wasn’t pretty by any means, the parts were worth sitting through the whole.

After an intermission, the group ended with Mendelssohn’s Quartet in A minor, the highlight of the show. Melody filled the hall once again, changing pace with each movement yet retaining its exquisite, unique beauty.

The small crowd began clapping a few seconds after the music diminished in the air and the four men lowered their bows, and it didn’t end when the men left the stage. They came out two more times, bowing and smiling, and then finally, all that was left on the stage were the four chairs and music stands.

None of the men said a single word the entire evening.

Questions? Comments? Contact Amanda Peterka at peterkaa@msu.edu

Who are you: 
What's Your Major: 
What would you like to say: