Ernest Chausson: Concerto for Violin, Piano and String Quartet, Op. 21
Quatuor Girard
César Birschner: Piano
Patrick Rafter: Violin
Twenty-four hours after spending an enchanted Saturday evening to the ethereal sounds of a harp and a flute in a historical priory surrounded by vineyards south of Dieulefit, my mom and I were intrepidly heading west to Basilique Sainte Anne, the main attraction of the tiny village of Bonlieu-sur-Roubion, which would host a concert dedicated to “Beethoven The Influencer” (Who could argue with that?) featuring Beethoven (Duh!) and Chausson (Huh?) and starring the family enterprise that is the Quatuor Girard as part of the Rosa Musica Festival.
Once we arrived on site, it became clear that the performance would not take place inside the actual basilica, but in the nearby barn whose gorgeous renovation—all old stones and modern stained-glass windows—and excellent acoustics—probably thanks to the high ceiling—we had already enjoyed last summer. The walk through the basilica’s lovely garden, where we attended another wonderful concert last year, may have been a bit wistful, but the barn was a totally worthy option.
While the doors did not open until five minutes before the start of the performance—the pianist or piano tuner furiously practicing until the very last minute—we at least were provided programs to keep us busy and informed. Not to mention that the last-minute opening of the door also had the advantage of keeping the sizable crowd outside of the already kind of warm and poorly ventilated venue. But hey, anything for Beethoven and Chausson!
Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 16 in F Major could easily claim a special place in the repertoire just for being the last major piece completed by the composer, but it also stands out for being a miraculously sunny work written during a rather dark and tumultuous period in Beethoven’s life. It sure felt like even if he is one of the most famous, admired and beloved members of the classical music canon, the man still manages to surprise us once in a while, doesn’t he?
That said, even without being aware of the context, one can tell that this relatively short quartet is a major accomplishment. It opens with a democratically balanced Allegretto, which boldly transitions into a cleverly unstable Vivace. The delicately melodic Lento assai, cantabile e tranquillo is all quiet and serenity, before the last movement, entitled Der schwer gefaßte Entschluß (The difficult decision), brings its own share of excitement with Beethoven’s hand-written note: Muß es sein? (Must it be?), to which he responds: Es muß sein! (It must be!). Another proof that he was as intensely talented as delightfully unpredictable.
After a short intermission, during which the two little ladies to my left went on a mission consisting in escaping to a cooler spot in the barn (Good luck with that!), it was time for us to become acquainted or reacquainted with Chausson’s unusually structured and stunningly lyrical Concerto for Violin, Piano and String Quartet, which also gave us the opportunity to discover Irish violinist Patrick Rafter and Brazilian pianist César Birschner. As part of their distinguished resumes, it was duly noted that they’re both long-term musical partners of the extra-tight Quatuor Girard, which probably explains why they blended in so seamlessly.
Chausson’s grandly ambitious, technically daunting and yet readily accessible concerto is indeed the perfect choice for consummate musicians looking forward to tackling an exhilarating challenge together. But the fact is, Sunday’s sixsome ended up facing more obstacles than they had bargained for, when the bow of one of the violinists decided to just give in, all the hair suddenly flying off from one end, which temporarily brought the performance to an abrupt halt. But hey, that’s live music for you, and in the end, the brilliantly intricate and unabashedly rhapsodic work had conquered everybody. My mom even sheepishly admitted that she had preferred Chausson’s piece to Beethoven’s. Sorry, Ludwig!
