Concert
Kalypso Ensemble
Music Room, St James Cavalier

Kalypso Ensemble has been around for a little while but this was the first opportunity I had to listen to their music making. I have heard them in another context for all five of them are currently members of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra.

They pooled their considerable talent and musical resources in performing Luigi Boccherini’s String Quintet in D Major, Op. 39, No. 3 and Franz Schubert’s great String Quintet in C

The musicians come from different countries and the round-up consists of Italian violinists Klara Nazaj and Giulia Tavano, Bulgarian viola player Ina Georgieva and cellists Akos Kertesz from Hungary and Frank Camilleri from Malta.

They pooled their considerable talent and musical resources in performing Luigi Boccherini’s String Quintet in D Major, Op. 39, No. 3 and Franz Schubert’s great String Quintet in C. Both are scored for, apart from the violins, one viola and two rather than one cello, when the more common string quintet formation calls for two each of violins and violas and one cello.

Boccherini’s weakness for the cello could be behind this scoring. He was, after all, a great cellist and thus he enriches a deeper and warmer kind of texture to the sound, as could be gauged from the performance as it unfolded in its three movements. And while the part for one of the cellos (with a highly-polished and decisive cantabile at Akos Kertesz’s command) tends to be prominent, it is not an overwhelming factor.

The rest of the performers still enjoyed various moments when they could stand out, sometimes leading, at others following in an easy exchange of material, always played with the required elegance and style. The occasional surprising hiccup in one of the violins sounded rather strange, considering the overall very high standard of performance displayed here and in Schubert.

As it emerged later, it was caused by the late replacement of the performer’s violin which was damaged in an accident.

The movements were well-contrasted, beginning with a lively, aptly defined Allegro vivo, followed by a finely-paced Pastorale: amoroso ma non lento, complete with its characteristic soft dynamics. The latter quality was maintained throughout and, to a certain extent, even in the concluding Presto, with its rapidly paced and colourful scoring.

Schubert’s highly challenging Quintet in C Major (D. 956, Op. posth. 163) is monumental without losing any interest and fascination. The very expansive opening Allegro ma non troppo is its longest movement and the whole work has a peculiarly unique texture, for the second cello’s importance lies in providing an additional viola line. It is a heart-warming work never ceasing to delight and carry away the listener with it.

The interpretation was warm in its intensity. Here was almost a case of disarming dolce soffrir, mainly in the contrasting heavenly outer sections of the Adagio, which really stood out against the turbulent central section with its highly Romantic outburst of feeling. The sweeping nature of the quasi-symphonic scherzo had, of course, its briefly contrasting trio even if in unusual march form. The concluding Allegretto was a happy romp, a rondo typical of Schubert, warm yet not devoid of some wit and bringing the work to a highly satisfactory finish.

It was back to Boccherini in the only encore conceded: La ritirata di Madrid.