Talent:
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here, by invitation only, european classical music talent is afforded a space to present itself to our visitors
Quatuor
Like all good things in music perhaps, it was an unexpected meeting of two worlds
late last year when tabla virtuoso and percussion guru Trilok Gurtu first shook
hands with the members of the young French string quartet Quatuor Modigliani.
Traffic had delayed their arrival to a primary rehearsal of Gurtu’s piece for cajón and quartet,
a jazzy work that takes all the finesses a classically trained quartet has at its disposal to
keep up with a guru like Gurtu.
Yes, there are notes on the page, but for Trilok Gurtu that is a point of departure,
not a given and never complete. Modigliani are as flexible as they are elegant and musical.
The rehearsal went just fine, next day's performance was stunning and the five men were
instant great friends. ‘Oef, they are good!’ beemed Gurtu.
In a world quickly filling with good, young, even adventurous string quartets,
Quatuor Modigliani had swiftly found its own place as a very good, very young and
quite adventurous ensemble. Winning all the prizes in the 2004 Tromp
International String Quartet Competition,
even the one for the best performance of an eclectic and
little known piece of Dutch repertoire - Ton de Leeuw’s String Quartet No. 1 -
Modigliani has since gone on successful tours throughout Europe, to Japan, and
this past winter to the USA.
Talent, pure and never simple best describes Modigliani.
Their most recent CD of three Haydn quartets, recently released on Mirare is a must have.
Fresh, clean but never cold, the difficulties inherent in Haydn's music
splash off these four Parisian gentlemen like rain off a duck’s back.
Slow movements are deep, dark and sensual, quick ones light and airy.
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Catch Quatuor Modigliani live when you can:
the maturity of their sound is ever more poignant when you can actually
see their youthful enthusiasm.
