Randolph Magri-Overend

THE ACACIA QUARTET AND GUNTER RAPHAEL

This CD was first conceived in Berlin in the spring of 2017 when the friendship between leading violinist Lisa Stewart and the founder of the Christine Raphael Foundation, Frederik Pachla decided that some form of recognition to the music of Günter Raphael was necessary.  The first concerts of his works were played in Sydney to a very appreciative audience and after further concerts in Berlin the present CD was recorded with three of Raphael’s string quartets – two early works, #1 Op 5 in E minor, #2 Op 9 in C major (1924 and 1925 respectively) and the last quartet he composed in 1946, #6 op 54 in F major.

Günter Raphael (1903-1960) was born in Berlin, the grandson of composer Albert Becker.  His first symphony was conducted by Wilhelm Furnwängler in 1926 in Leipzig.  However illness and the rise of Fascism, who labelled him a half-Jew, saw his works prohibited from performance.  Eventually he managed to compose five symphonies, several concertos for violin and organ, six string quartets and numerous solos and duos for string and wind.  He was a traditional composer but he was also interested in the works of his contemporaries.  Avant-garde was taboo to him initially but he mellowed in his later years to partially embrace some of the works being composed.

The Acacia Quartet was founded in 2010 in Sydney and comprises violinists Lisa Stewart and Myee Clohessy, violist Stefan Duwe and cellist Anna Martin-Scrase.   The quartet was artist-in-residence at Sydney radio station Fine Music and performed at their new studios regularly between 2014 and 2016.  I was a programmer and presenter at the time at the station but alas, never got a chance to hear them.  The quartet is passionate about supporting Australian composers, working with young musicians and sharing their love of music with all ages.  They’ve performed at the Sydney Opera House, Sydney’s Recital Hall, Melbourne’s Recital Hall and overseas in Vancouver and Berlin.

So, what about the music on hand?  Let me just mention at the outset that I’d never heard any of Raphael’s works until I listened to this CD. According to Groves, his most famous work was his fourth symphony written in 1942 and revised in 1947.  Groves goes on to relate that this work is monumental and that the elimination of clarinets and horns plus an invigorated percussion section underline its severity.

That, in essence is an apt description for his first two quartets.  Metaphorically I can only describe it as an impenetrable cloud within which the odd string instrument is allowed to poke its head above the fluffy mass and flourish very, very minimally.  Someone once described Russian music as a collection of chordal musical elements.  That’s how I feel after listening to the first 2 tracks of this CD.  That doesn’t mean that the Acacia Quartet is remiss in its  interpretation.  On the contrary.  Maintaining the shape of Raphael’s intentions isn’t easy.  It requires hours and hours of practice to ensure that the shape is preserved and that all members play to the best of their ability.  There is no doubt about that.

The last quartet  – #6 Op 54 in F major – is as different as Verdi’s operatic resurrection from the style of his first opera Oberto to the brash music in Otello and Falstaff.  Raphael had matured and now his orchestration is less dense and perhaps, more classical in its clarity.  Good or bad?  I let you judge.  Personally, I found it refreshing.

Well there you have it.  If you’re fed up with all this leisure time the Federal government has instilled into our lives then perhaps it’s time to branch out.  If you’re a classical fiend, like I am, you can do no better than listening to this CD.

Featured image : The Acacia Quartet

 

 

 

 

 

 

Published by Randolph Magri-Overend

One of the questions Randolph hates to answer is “Where do you come from?” Why? Because the answer can be so time-consuming and, in a way, also gives away how old he is!! Plus the questioner has to wrestle with the wish he hadn’t asked the question!! He was born in Cairo, Egypt, many moons ago of British parents although he can trace Maltese and Croatian ancestry in his lineage. Educated in a Jesuit college in London his wander lust for things unorthodox drove him to embark on a seafaring career with both Canadian Pacific Steamships and Shaw Savill. That in itself dates him because both lines have been redundant for many a year. One of his boasts is that he was the Purser on the “Gothic” which ten years previously had been Queen Elizabeth II’s Royal Yacht soon after her coronation in 1953. One of the objects imported on the ship by HM and left behind was a tape player which Randolph utilised on many a memorable Sunday evening with a classical concert for his passengers. Thus began a journey that not only awakened Randolph’s love for good music but also eventually led to his extensive knowledge of music in all forms. That he loves the era of Sinatra, Crosby, Armstrong, Dorsey (both) and many many more exponents of the post-war music scene is also part and parcel of his appreciation of the music of many an era. These days Randolph is retired but still reviews CDs and DVDs and has written articles on such diverse personalities as Yvonne Kenny, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Alexander Briger, the late Sir John Tavener, Sir James Galway, Dawn Upshaw and countless probes into the music of Gustav Mahler, Elizabeth Shwarzkopf and her husband Walter Legge, Glenn Gould, Leonard Bernstein and many many more he regrets to admit he has lost track of! Before emigrating to Australia, Randolph spent a number of years as a Flight Dispatcher in Canada. Since arriving in Australia, Randolph has written for The Weekend Australian (especially in their travel pages), The Sydney Morning Herald, Opera Opera and Fine Music magazine as well as some jazz magazines. If you require an extensive coverage of your music to a public that, at last count, reaches the best part of 818,000 please contact David Kary on editor.sydneyartsguide@gmail.com or email me directly on ibmar@bigpond.com. This also includes advertising any forthcoming shows by promoting featured artists. Cheers and thank you.