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Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)

February 5, 2008 Tuesday

Broward Metro Edition

DELRAY QUARTET RESONATES IN ELEGANT SETTING

BYLINE: David Fleshler Staff Writer

SECTION: LIFE; Pg. 3E

LENGTH: 404 words

As a major stop for touring musicians, South Florida sees a parade of world-class orchestras, quartets and soloists. There are a few groups, such as the choir Seraphic Fire and some of the ensembles of the Palm Beach Chamber Music Festival, that can stand with the out-of-town stars.

To that list must be added the Delray String Quartet. The elegant old Colony Hotel of Delray Beach resonated with the music of Mozart and Beethoven, as more than 100 people heard a first-rate performance Sunday by the Delray ensemble.

The atmosphere was easy and informal. Ceiling fans contributed to the old-time atmosphere and almost compensated for the lack of air conditioning.

The ensemble began with Mozart's Double Viola Quintet in G Minor, augmented by the distinguished Miami violist Chauncey Patterson. They gave a darkly elegant performance of Mozart's turbulent, rhythmically driving quintet, composed in a key that he reserved for some of his most somber works.

This was real music making, technically polished but without the arid perfection that accompanies the fear of playing a wrong note. First violinist Mei Mei Luo's live-wire intensity drove the performance, leavened by the rich, throaty playing of violist Richard Fleischman.

In Beethoven's quirky Quartet No. 11, Op. 95, they brought an almost violent power to the performance. Even Beethoven acknowledged that this was an unusual work, aimed at connoisseurs rather than the general public, and the musicians were up to the challenge as the piece lurched from mood to mood.

There were a couple of technical slip-ups, but pretty minor ones, and these are the price of live music. The slow movement was rich in texture, with the contrapuntal voices coming through clearly. The breakneck coda practically threw sparks. As a light dessert, they ended with a sultry performance of an Albeniz tango.

Now in its fourth season, the quartet is composed of former members of the Florida Philharmonic, and most are familiar to regular concertgoers as chamber music performers and first-chair players with local orchestras.

David Fleshler can be reached at dfleshler@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4535.

INFORMATIONAL BOX:

IF YOU GO

The Delray String Quartet next plays at 4 p.m. March 2 at the Colony Hotel and Cabana Club, 525 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. Tickets are $35. Call 561-213-4138.

ONLINE: For a review of Cleveland Orchestra's Feb. 2 performance, go to Sun-Sentinel.com/cleveland

LOAD-DATE: February 5, 2008

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

NOTES: < Informational box at end of text.

DOCUMENT-TYPE: REVIEW

PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper