MUSIC REVIEW : Quartet Delivers an Evening of Unforgettable Music-Making

In the tradition of string quartets born from the ranks of major orchestras, members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic led by Alexander Treger used impeccable technique, unusually accurate intonation and an emphasis on line (as opposed to nuance) to illuminate quartets by Haydn and Shostakovich, Monday night at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre.

The four players were joined by guest cellist Bernard Greenhouse in Schubert’s Opus 163 Quintet. All three performances proved unforgettable. While second violinist Camille Avellano, violist Evan N. Wilson and cellist Barry Gold contributed no less qualitatively than Treger, it was he on whom the spotlight shone most brightly, since he was responsible for the lion’s share of the work.

Treger, the Philharmonic’s second-ranking concertmaster, and once a student of David Oistrakh at the Moscow Conservatory, commanded such elegance of phrase and eloquence of bow control that the audience remained breathlessly intent in the ambient-noise-plagued Ford on hearing every note.

At first, it seemed as if Haydn’s Quartet, Opus 74, No. 3, would be afflicted by caution, the usual fault of orchestra-based quartets. By the time the mazurka-like second theme kicked in, however, it was clear that the evening would be special. By the time the miniature violin concerto that is the last movement ended (with occasional key riffs by the second violin), it was clear that the ensemble constitutes a genuine quartet and not just four players.

Shostakovich’s Quartet No. 7 gained from being less an expression of personal emotion (it was composed in 1960 in memory of the composer’s first wife) than a universal expression of consolation marked by the quartet’s musical fluency in the sad, fragmented melodies and Treger’s astonishing ability to play sudden, loud chords without a trace of harshness.

After intermission, the ensemble shaped the Schubert quintet as if it were one arching line of song. Gold projected the big tunes like a laser, and Greenhouse provided a warm, rock-solid foundation.