Concert review: Dover Quartet

In a savvy bit of programming, the Dover Quartet prefaced Dvořák’s ‘American’ Quartet op.96 with three works from American composers, whose unique voices created an unusual context for the popular Czech masterpiece.

At this point, Jessie Montgomery’s Strum (2006) is perhaps an early candidate for ‘classic,’ given the frequency of performances, and the Dover found immense pleasure in its gutsy textures and rhythms.

But another star of the evening – aside from the stellar ensemble, tingling with passion and invention – was Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate, a composer of Chickasaw heritage, whose Woodland Songs were commissioned by the Dover players (see August’s Premiere of the Month). The five movements evoke forest animals, using an array of string techniques – be they percussive scratchy buzzings, lush harmonies or shimmering tremolos – to evoke a squirrel, woodpecker, deer, fish and raccoon.

Tate also orchestrated Rattle Songs (1996) by Pura Fé, a composer now living in Canada and a founding member of Ulali, an indigenous women’s group. Fe’s striking set of seven traditional melodies was created for vocals and Native American rattles made from turtle shells. Tate translated Fé’s timbres for string quartet, and his reinterpretation gives vibrant new life to the original’s gently percussive results.

If anything, the Dvořák gained even more poignancy from the fascinating preface. Its Bohemian melodies seemed to pair perfectly with Tate’s aesthetic, and the ensemble’s combination of vigour and nostalgia made for a compelling finale.

BRUCE HODGES