Repertory Engagement 5

Roddy OKeeffe
24/10/16
Chloe Kiely (R00122420)

RT Contempo Quartet
The Bartk Project
1/10/2016
Triskel Arts Centre

Haydn

Quartet Op. 76, No. 1 in G

Sebastian Adams

2016.3

Bartk

Quartet No. 1

Having heard accounts of friends previous experiences at performances by the RT

Contempo Quartet, I went in with low expectations. For the most part, I was pleasantly
surprised with the level of interpretation displayed by the quartet. The group performed a
diverse programme, playing both Haydn and Bartk with idiomatic finesse. While accurate,
however, the performance lacked a level of ensemble seen in other quartets, with each player
performing as a soloist rather than a member of an ensemble, not to mention a number of
tuning issues throughout.
The highlight of the concert occurred early on, with the third movement of the Haydn quartet,
played with a wonderful level of energy and lightness, compared with the darkness of the
fourth movement. The main issues began to set in during the premiere of Sebastian Adams
2016.3, a deeply challenging work, where although the tonality was largely non-existent, one

could tell that the group were falling out of tune with one another, leading to a lengthy
retuning session prior to the performance of the Bartk. While each individual member of the
quartet played Bartks first quartet with style, at times it felt like they were trying to out-play
one another, particularly in the more jovial sections of the third movement.
Imperfections aside, the concert was an enjoyable start to the Bartk Project series, and I look
forward to attending further performances from the Contempo Quartet.