 |  Donald Rosenberg, Cleveland Plain Dealer November 16, 2005
NORDWEST-ZEITUNG Germany, March 20, 2004
"Rarely does a concert completely live up to expectations. As it turned
out, the string quartet in question... the Ciompi Quartet... was
phenomenal. They play with a unanimity of phrasing and attack that is
remarkable. Every nuance, every shift in dynamics, had the four playing
as one, and the intensity in the finale was thrilling. They are amazing."
"The Ciompi Quartet performed at the Shanghai Conservatory's Heluding
concert hall last night. Their music, full of passion, yet with pure and
beautiful tone color, intoxicated the listener."
"The Ciompi Quartet never fails to astound, and this program was one of
their most inventive yet heard."
"The Ciompi Quartet's polished and elegant Mozart took full advantage of
this work's rich involvement of all four instruments in exchanges of
graceful curving phrases. The Minuet movement conveyed a microcosm of
emotion, from mysterious, hushed drama to fiery energy, with the
repetitions of the form executed with significance and logic. First
violinist Eric Pritchard offered brilliance without ever crossing to the
merely showy."
"The Ciompi Quartet's concert Saturday night offered all their
well-established attributes: mastery of a range of styles, promotion of
new works, and collaboration with other artists.
"What was so touching was that the music came
across with no exaggeration, no applied virtuosity, but a real sense of
its importance to each of the four players. The musicians were sensitive
and alert. The tempos were vital but natural and unforced. The Ciompi
Quartet can play Haydn for me any time."
"The sound of the strings was one of poised,
easy musicianship within a loosened (but never loose) blend that allowed
some individuation from each player...The performance was classically
proportioned but warm; tempos were moderate and unhurried; and the
compositional mechanics were transparently laid out. That is all this
piece needs."
"The whole evening was a work of art, of technical brilliance, of
careful, sensitive ensemble playing."
"The result was impressive: perfection, such as we are accustomed to
hearing only on mastered recordings, combined with musical spontaneity
within the constraints of ensemble playing"
"Finally, the exceptional quality of the Ciompi Quartet must be
emphasized, the beauty of their sound, and the way they invest
themselves completely in the music they play."
"From beginning to end the playing sounded intelligent and sure,
softened at the edges by a full and mellow tone"
"The second movement was played with such delicacy that the music seemed
more an instantaneous creation of the ensemble's collective mind than a
mere interpretation of Mozart's work"
"...a set of superbly articulated and passionate readings..."
"...the group plays everything as if its life depends on it..."
"The Kreutzer Sonata (by Leos Janacek) received an intense performance
of quite astonishing power and brilliance that likely ranks among the
Ciompi's finest achievements to date."
"As if by magic, the Ciompi Quartet succeeded in creating a sense of
dramatic tension... a powerful performance." |