Concert review: Ying Quartet, Derek Bermel (clarinet)

For the opening night of the Bowdoin International Music Festival, listeners packed the Studzinski Recital Hall with some 30 extra seats on stage flanking the Ying Quartet, which offered two Schubert gems. For his Quartettsatz, the opening lines were precisely spun, soothing except for the bristling tremolos. Other pluses: lithe tone, and in a space ideal for chamber music, balances were perennially spot on.

The epic scope of Schubert’s ‘Death and the Maiden’ Quartet tends to bring out the best in players, and that was true here. In the opening movement, the Ying foursome found the precise intonation to produce a satisfying buzz in the opening chords. Shrewd judgement of contrasts, coupled with well-placed accents, made a dramatic start to the story, which only grew more interesting as it went on. The second movement glistened with delicacy – a faded letter, glimpsed through a veil – followed by a Scherzo of equal parts nostalgia and defiance. That strength continued in the finale, taken at top speed for maximum giddiness, with the final page even faster, at a white-hot pace that caused the audience to erupt in cheers.

In between the Schubert bookends came more to ponder, A Short History of the Universe (2013) by clarinet virtuoso Derek Bermel. The composer was on hand to show off his instrumental prowess, with sighing phrases offset by gently rocking figures on the strings. Considerable musical interest aside, we could all use a little encouragement to think more about the universe these days.

Bruce Hodges