Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin
String Quartet In E Flat, Op 109 (1909)Reger
Minimax (1923)Hindemith
The programmes of the Sundays at Noon concert series in the Hugh Lane Gallery are always adventurous, frequently startling and at times of rare excellence. Sunday's recital by the Vogler Quartet was no exception. It may not have been startling, as the string quartet did not have to use the more extreme techniques of the avant-garde, but it was adventurous in the choice of works and excellent in the confident, committed playing.
In his time, Reger was regarded by some as a musical anarchist, but to our ears what is most marked in his works is their closeness to the Brahmsian tradition. It is true that his harmonies are more indebted to Wagner, but the forms are of a classical solidity. He notoriously uses a lot of notes, which can lead to thick and turgid textures, but the Vogler Quartet aerated and energised them without losing any of the characteristic opulence. The string quartets, in any case, are not very dense and have much pleasing variation in their instrumentation.
Op 109 is a work of high seriousness, though it contains a quirky and joyful fast movement; contrariwise, Hindemith's Minimax is an amusing jeu d'esprit. The six pastiches of military band music, which might almost pass as the genuine article played by the local band in the park, have their every mannerism guyed by the string players. The malicious mimicking of distant trumpets and piccolo flutes, and the rumbustious marching tempos, were brilliantly and humorously recreated by the Vogler Quartet and brought a smile to many a face in the audience. I cannot imagine anyone not wanting to hear more Hindemith, and more Reger, after this recital.
