Ever since I introduced the Dover (String) Quartet to a (private) Boston audience in 2015, I have been following the exemplary foursome’s welcome rise, and have witnessed its local performances in 2018, 2021, and 2022 with great pleasure. Thus I was not at all surprised that the ensemble totally won the hearts of a nearly full Jordan Hall on Friday night with brilliantly played, cannily interpreted, and deeply felt traversals of three favorites: Dvořák’s String Quartet No. 12 in F Major, Op. 96 “American,” Schumann’s String Quartet No. 1 in A minor, Op. 41, No. 1, and Tchaikovsky’s String Quartet No.1 in D Major, Op. 11.

Dover’s astonishingly sonorous and mutually reinforcing blend of distinctive, outgoing, and tonally elegant individuals places the ensemble at or near the top of the string quartet pyramid. They deeply engage with each other, find the meaning in the notes, and convey it to us persuasively in a manner very reminiscent of the very special Vermeer Quartet with whom they studied. Permit me to regurgitate some quotes from reviewers on the site:

The opening of Dvořák Op. 105 again showed the ensemble’s remarkable ability to shift gears rapidly, transitioning seamlessly between major and minor, loud and soft, fast and slow. Individuals took the spotlight when they had solo moments before relaxing back into the texture to support their colleague’s turns to shine. The robust Bohemian folk rhythms brought out a gusto   JL

We seem to be in a golden age for great string quartet playing. Boston has hosted memorable performances by a range of highly polished, technically astounding foursomes. In this company, Dover can stand proudly, with its crisp execution, and enthusiastic give-and-take alchemy.  JL

The Dover’s evinced string orchestra sonority which sounded like just what the composer wanted. The emphasis on contrasts worked very well here, especially in the second movement. The third movement Lento positively floated. And in the dramatic finale, the dance rhythms were so pronounced I was almost surprised that nobody in this freewheeling Woodstock audience got up and boogied.  LG

The Allegro non tardente flexes its muscles slowly, but eventually in this performance transcended the academic restraints with inflected, mounting tension alternating with taut relaxation. Together, the Dover imbued the fugal utterances and thematic reversals with well-plotted meaning. A pianissimo solo from the first violinist Joel Link focused our concentration magically. Never overselling, never oversold, nor low in drive, the players seemed embarked on a programmatic and sonic arc with the fortissimo ending of the Brahms Op. 34 already filed on the flight plan. FLE

What made the Dover’s performance so convincing was their absolute control of rhythm and dynamics through multiple shifts in phrasing and texture right up to the madcap fortissimo skirmish of the coda.  VN

The pinpoint precise trills opening Dvořák’s American yielded seamlessly to violist Julianne Lee’s invitingly voiced, almost religious introit. Many sterling incidents ensued, alternating delicacy with fire. Total agreement on accent and inflection never diminished individuality.  Joel Link presided from the first chair with surpassing sweetness, infallibly into harmonic realms as well as projecting viola-like warmth on the E string. Do we hear echoes of Shmuel Ashkenasi? Cellist Camden Shaw served as the quartet’s welcoming interlocutor in introductory words and musical deeds. In the Lento his pizzicatos varied from lute-like to almost Bartokian. Alone among the players, his portamenti felt idiomatic, though we occasionally pine for the throwback style from the Czech Quartet’s early acoustic recording of this piece with Dvořák’s son-in-law Joseph Suk [movement 4 HERE]. His intoning a solemn spiritual over viola pizzicato impressed tremendously, as did the incredibly patient and steady collective fadeout. The pentatonic chugging in the Finale, Vivace ma non troppo briefly yielded to dark robes of mourning before taking on the lighter mien of a bird flitting over a bier. Then came a big ritard to set up a furiante finish. 

In the urgent pleading of the Dover, the noble, fugal Introduzione of Schuman’s debut in the string quartet genre carried the weight of a Beethoven Largo with engaging balance and refined sonority. The fairy Scherzo scurried about with facile exactitude, while never faltering in expressivity. The Adagio returned to Beethovenian profundities in its embrace of weeping tenderness. Time stopped for the cello solos. Each player in turn delivered a cosmic sigh for the ages. Second violin Bryan Lee issued his declarations with fateful molten emotion in this movement. The Presto swirled with sterling and unanimous brilliance; everyone got the tune and dug in splendidly. After an unforgettably haunting, senza vibrato organ-like benediction with niceties of subordination and dominance and perfections of chordal weighting, smiles and joy returned for the boffo close.

Like a flawless cut ruby, but human and consoling withal, Tchaikovsky’s String Quartet No. 1 in D Major, Op. 11 began with haunting intensity in a lilting 3 (actually a subdivided 9/8).  The cellist Shaw took the Andante cantabile at a warm if rather dignified walking tempo; we prefer to hear it with a might more schmalz as in the string orchestra and cello solo arrangement [HERE ], in which New York Classical Players, as Volga Boatmen  conveyed us to the pearly gates. Yet, as the irresistible tune wandered among the four players, Friday night, each found a convincing way to express the ravishing, curvaceous longing, flaring emotions, and consolation. The Scherzo. Allegro non tanto e con fuoco, a fast sleigh ride through moonlit birches, cast sprays of snow, as the troika (plus one) blew steam. Accurately aligned upbow triplets in the accompaniment underpinned the impulsive tunes in the rapid but unforced opening section and in the trio, which gave violist Lee another moment to turn out. Dramatically Russian and logically plotted, the Finale. Allegro giusto – Allegro vivace journeyed with irresistible momentum and perfections of filigree to a destined second melody, first intoned by the viola and then whizzing around as if in courtly ballroom, taking on weight and complexity as the nostalgic tune kept returning with burnished nostalgia. A broad ritard and magical diminuendo perfectly set up a rip-roaring coda that brought down the house.

The players conversed for a few moments before deciding to encore with the Andante from Mendelssohn’s String Quartet Op. 44 No. 2.  Truly a song without words of inspiring import, it rent our hearts with Gemütlichkeit as the intertwined voices passionately assembled a ravishing seamless garment.

Lee Eiseman is the publisher of the Intelligencer