The Heath Quartet with Philip Higham, cello

St Andrew’s Church, Alfriston, 4 August 2012

The evening sunlight drifted through the west window onto the Heath Quartet just as they opened with Haydn’s Quartet Op 33 No4. It seemed apt, the warmth of the acoustic and the joy of the scoring mirrored in the softened glow of the nave.

This programme had a very different feel to it from that given at the start of the series in Brighton, which had been altogether more introspective. Even Gyorgy Kurtag’s 12 Microludes were easier to assimilate that the previous Moments Musicaux.

For the Haydn, the close proximity of the audience meant that the Largo could be played with the utmost delicacy and finesse, with no loss of impact. The Finale was strenuous without being over assertive.

Quite how the set of atonal pieces by Kurtag relate to specific semitones in the B to C scale was impossible to assess simply listening to the works, but they have a sense of integrity and power which the quartet conveyed with ease. The first and fourth pieces are almost non-existent dynamically in contrast to the outbursts of power and energy, however brief, in the sixth. Towards the end there is a very effective solo line for the viola, and before this there was a movement with some familiar Kurtag scittering energy.

After the interval we heard a sublime performance of a sublime work, Schubert’s String Quintet in C. This was perfect both for the culmination of the brief series and for a fine evening. If the trio section of the Scherzo seemed unexpectedly melancholic it was only because of the enthusiasm and joy which was to be found in the rest of the work.

These concerts were part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad but there are more events at St Andrew’s across the rest of the summer and they continue throughout the year. BH