The thoughtful programming and performance of this past weekend’s concert by Harvard’s resident Parker Quartet (Daniel Chong and Ken Hamao, violin; Jessica Bodner, viola; Kee-Hyun Kim, viola ) at John Knowles Paine Hall featured gems from three distinct musical voices, a pair written in the decade before the 20^th century — by Alexander Zemlinsky and Claude Debussy—and the third by the contemporary Thomas Adès.

The music of Alexander Zemlinsky, well known, even revered in his lifetime, has more recently taken a back seat to that of others, including composers he taught, for example, Arnold Schoenberg and Erich Korngold. But now his work is enjoying a deserved renaissance. Indeed, concertgoers here seemed uniformly pleased to hear a nuanced rendition of the four-movement 1896 String Quartet No. 1 (Opus 4) in A Minor he wrote when he was only 25; among its many romantic era features it lacks only an actual slow movement. It is said that Zemlinsky showed this work to Johannes Brahms, whose metric trademarks could be felt here. The Parker, in its third decade, interpreted this large work sensitively and with panache. Opus four begins with a rich and strong Allegro con fuoco, which segues into a section with martial spirit, then transitions to a quiet voicing before returning to its bold start, leaving us with a taste for more. The group conveyed the scherzo second masterfully, with its initial Allegretto wafting sweetly, then accelerating to a brief prestissimo furioso, only to return to a softer conclusion. The A minor, Breit und kräftig, felt strong, if not a teensy bit stolid. The piercing vivace on fuoco, which includes a quiet middle, concludes in nearly fury. Positive murmurings in the hall suggested that Zemlinsky’s music deserves exposure as more than a bridge between eras.

Four Quarters, by Thomas Adès, commissioned for the Emerson Quartet by the Carnegie Corporation, earned high praise from its premiere on March 12^th, 2011 at Carnegie Hall and has garnered a firm and fond spot in the repertoires of many foursomes. Reviewers describe each aspect of the circadian composition quite differently. This one experienced sparkling, mystery-steeped, gemlike movements. In Nightfalls, harmonics abound, creating bell-like pianississimo quiverings, while  Dew Drops features nearly-all pizzicato with occasional bowed reminiscences of scintillating dawns. Days, conveys both humdrum, if not stifling aspects of life, as well as its luminous surprises.  Then, the piece de resistance—the 25^th hour—adds time beyond time and recapped myriad textures with the use of high harmonics and cello pizzicato in floating, endless motion. 

Though its initial reception after its 1893 premiere was decidedly mixed, Debussy’s String Quartet in G Minor, Opus 10, has become an emblematic favorite of both performers and audiences, so much so, that it is considered archetypical of musical impressionism. It has long been in the Parker’s repertoire (listen HERE to its recording from nearly 5 years back). The foursome’s purposeful, intense, yet intimate collaboration opened with a solid introduction of the signature  animé et très décidé signature; its cardinal theme felt like a reassuring balm, with nuance, followed by more stormy expression extending the emotional range and sense many have described as an Odyssey or an epic journey. The energetic scherzo assez vif et bien rythmé, began forcefully, with pizzicato and ostinato thrumming and bravura phrasing. The soaring first violin wafted incantations in melodious answers and declamations. Then two pizzicato sections return at the end. The elegiac andantino, doucement expressif, introduced by Bodner’s splendid viola tone and phrasing, provided soniferous respite, a pause in the journey. Yet the phrasing and intensity soar before going back to the contemplative beginning. Debussy ends the journey with his très modéré recapitulating earlier motifs in his emotional fourth movement.

Harvard and Cantabrigian music lovers are beyond fortunate to have the Parker Quartet in our midst. Not only do they provide thought-provoking and unique concerts, but they also contribute to the greater community through demonstrations, themed concerts and teaching. Their next Blodgett Chamber Music Series concert will be on April 6^th.

Julie Ingelfinger studied piano at the Hartt School of Music, Aspen Music Festival and School and at Harvard. She enjoys her day jobs as professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, pediatric nephrologist at Mass General Hospital for Children and deputy editor at the New England Journal of Medicine.