Special treat from Alasdair and quartet

Alasdair Beatson/Doric Quartet really took on Elgar’s grand style: swagger and wistfulness, tremendous sound and beauty in the slow movement.

Cello of the Doric Quartet, John Myerscough, said that the Saturday concert in St John’s Kirk allowed them to play three of their favourite Quartets away from the bustle of the London concert scene.

The Haydn was his Op64 No3 an alignment of wit and construction, where they tried a little to hard with the humour.

Mendelssohn’s sometimes terrifying Op80 followed: movements 1,3,4 perfectly mirrored the composer’s state of mind after his beloved sister’s too early death, but they muted the Allegro assai, often taken as a macabre Witches’ Dance, taking it in too measured a way.

Happily then on to Beethoven’s Op59 No2, here fully at one with this immense piece.

The opening chords revealed their force and energy in St John’s fine acoustic. Elevated in the slow movement, having fun with Beethoven and his folksong quotation in the third.

Finally, driven and with Beethoven pushing the instruments to the limit, exciting in the Presto.

Mendelssohn’s lyrical elegant and poised Quartet in E Flat Op12 started the Sunday concert.

The droll Canzonetta and its fairy-music Trio was a highpoint.

Alasdair Beatson’s only solo that weekend was a Schumann’s Kinderszenen of unparalleled sensitivity. Bright or sad Schumann was in Alasdair’s fingertips: rapt and dreamy, fantastical or with good humour, the 13 pieces were all gems, only the last, The Poet Speaks slowing a little too much.

Probably the greatest piano quintet had the most titanic performance: Johannes Brahms’ Quintet F minor Op34.

Epic and heroic, the musicians also had the ability to relax expansively in Brahms’ tunes. Tender and ardent in the slow movement, with tremendous drive in the Scherzo, unbearable tension almost burst into flame in the jagged coda.

Causing a conflagration of applause from the audience which through all three concerts had itself impressed by the intentness of its focused listening. Ian Stuart-Hunter