Radio France had the good idea to dedicate a series of concerts to the composer, conductor and pedagogue Gilbert Amy for his 80th birthday.
Having entered his musical world via his excellent 2nd Quartet, Brèves, played by the Pražák Quartet, I favoured the concert given by the young and gifted Hermès Quartet, in the composer’s presence.
The Hermès had chosen one of his early works to open the concert, Mouvement pour Quatuor, a piece with already many qualities.
The performers remained in the repertoire of the 2nd half of the XXth century, with György Ligeti’s Quartet No.1, Métamorphoses nocturnes, and its numerous sections influenced by Bartók. They gave a very fine version of the work.
Back to Amy and his Quartet No.3, an interesting piece well worth the discovery.
The Hermès Quartet moved to a completely different period and style, with Quartet op. 76 No.4, “Sunrise” by Franz Josef Haydn. I particularly enjoyed the central movements, the Adagio and Menuetto (allegro).
As radio France Musique later broadcast the various concerts of the celebrations, I could discover a certain number of works of quality, ranging from chamber music to orchestral pages.
Quatuor Hermès
Quatuor Hermès, Gilbert Amy
Quatuor Hermès, Gilbert Amy
