Bartók for breakfast

Music@Menlo blog

The day began with the Borromeo string quartet performing the Bartók quartet cycle. A challenging choice for both performers and audience, this was certainly not going to be easy like Sunday morning. Presented in the exquisite Stent Family Hall ballroom, the Borromeo gave an impassioned insight into some gripping repertoire.

The first movement, dubbed by Bartók himself as 'funeral dirge' was dedicated to an unrequited love. Most of us would drown our sorrows with a pint down the local but not Bartók. At just 27, his writing evokes an incredible sense of yearning, sorrow and - as my fellow journalists and I decided - repressed erotic frustration.

Broken strings and beads of sweat ensued as the Borromeo strings took us through a bumpy journey, pulling over briefly after quartet number two before accelerating into post-first world war territory with the third and fourth. The first violinist played from a laptop displaying Bartók's original score, an admirable touch - I can only imagine how difficult that must be.

The day concluded with the final two quartets, a packed-out audience seemingly captivated by the lyrical dissonance.

I'll admit, Bartók's string cycle won't be something I'll be revisiting on disc in the comfort of my own flat any time soon, but as a concert it was an enriching experience - kudos to some breathtaking and achingly talented stringers.