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Otago Daily Times

Spellbinding performance

NEW ZEALAND STRING QUARTET AT OROKONUI ECOSANCTUARY Saturday, May 10. The wonder, joy and drama of music kept a capacity audience spellbound during a thrilling performance by the New Zealand String Quartet at Orokonui Ecosanctuary on Saturday. Silhouetted against the background of sunset over the ecosanctuary's forested hills, the quartet, comprising long-standing violist Gillian Ansell, recently appointed violinist Peter Clark, and guest musicians Arna Morton (violin) and Callum Hall (cello), were magnificent throughout. The concert opened with New Zealand composer Salina Fisher's extraordinary Torino — Echoes on Putorino improvisations by Rob Thorne, a beautiful, contemplative exploration of the sounds of taonga pūoro traditional Māori instruments. The NZSQ performance was spellbinding in its gentle evocation of these ancient instruments, giving a wonderful feeling of peace. The NZSQ then shifted gear to tackle the fast-paced, youthful exuberance of Shostakovich's String Quartet No 1 in C major, working seamlessly together to draw out its shifts in tone and tempo. The concert's second half featured Grieg's monumental String Quartet in G minor, a sprightly, virtuosic four-movement work, with the NZSQ bringing its complex, orchestral texture to the fore. Led by Morton in the first violin role, the quartet were superb throughout the work, tackling its many rapid runs and trills at breakneck speed and earning a well deserved shout of excitement from the audience at its conclusion. Following sustained applause, the NZSQ returned to treat the audience to a jaunty rendition of the Stuart Reel, which really got the toes tapping. All in all, the New Zealand String Quartet's appearance at Orokonui Ecosanctuary was a fabulous musical showcase in very special surroundings. Bravo!