At St Thomas’ Winchelsea on the evening of Sunday, September 15, a wheel came full circle at the Rye Arts Festival concert given by the Piatti Quartet. It was in 2014 that Peter Brice, then musical director of the festival, invited the Piatti players to be the quartet in residence. They made a strong impression on audiences, not least for the breadth of their appeal, their concerts including an evening of ‘Beer and Bartok’ at the Queen’s Head pub.
Peter was always keen on encouraging aspiring musicians at the beginning of their musical journey and his nurture and support is remembered with appreciation by many. In thePiatti quartet he chose a winner, as this year’s performance revealed.
Their 2024 programme in Winchelsea featured the same composers as its equivalent ten years before but featured different works by them: Dvorak’s American’ quartet; Britten’s 1st quartet: and Phibbs’ Quartet No.4. It was Peter who supported the process of commissioning a work (quartet No. 1) from Joseph Phibbs back in 2014 and after its successful première at the festival Piatti has played it nigh on forty times.
The new Quartet No. 4 was technically demanding but readily accessible to the listener. The first movement (Film Sequence) seemed to establish a sound context in which other movements existed yet established their own character – night music, burlesque, folk roots or cerebral passacaglia, for example. I was sufficiently intrigued to buy the CD recording of Phibbs’ Quartets 2, 3 and 4 at the interval and have thoroughly enjoyed listening to it.
The hallmarks of the Piatti Quartet’s playing established in the first work appeared to wonderful advantage in the second – the Britten 1st quartet. There was real clarity of texture; precision and agility in the passage-work and that unanimity – of ensemble, yes, but also of intellectual and emotional direction, that distinguishes an attuned group of players. The andante calmo, in particular revealed a firm grasp of structure underlying sinuous lines.
Alas, I was not able to stay for the second half and Dvorak but the playing of these young, disciplined musicians will long live in the memory. The performance was dedicated to the memory of Peter Brice: he would surely have thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated the fine quality of music-making they shared with us.
The Piatti Quartet played at St Mary’s Rye on Saturday evening as well.
Image Credits: Kt bruce , Paul Whiteman .