Carducci Quartet, Kendal Town Hall

For the opening concert of its 70th season the Kendal Midday Concert Club engaged the Carducci Quartet, one of today’s most successful ensembles.

It was a choice felicitous for an occasion dedicated to the memory of the late Stephen Greenwood, the long-serving chairman of the club, who died recently. The Carduccis are all fine players who, in combination, breathe as one, produce a lovely mellow blend and beauty of tone, show attention to detail (although balance was an occasional issue), are highly sensitive to the technical and emotional demands of their chosen composers and clearly are enjoying their music-making and deserved eminence.

Two ‘serious’ quartets filled the hour – Haydn’s Op 20 No 5 and Beethoven’s Op 132. In both performances there was rhythmic tautness, clarity of texture (especially in the contrapuntal passages), subtle sensitivity of phrase-shaping and keen observation of dynamic contrast. There was delicacy and power, melancholy and sparkle, with highlights being found in both finales and, in particular, Beethoven’s sublime slow movement.

And yet...the recital, masterly though it was from most aspects, failed to totally excite - was the programming at fault, I wonder?

Brian Paynes