Live Review: Brodsky Quartet & Topology

Visiting Brisbane as the world's foremost interpreters of the works of Soviet Russia composer Shostakovich, the Brodsky Quartet's first Queensland Music Festival show has the British group pairing with Topology, local chamber music inspired, genre-melding ensemble-in-residence. It's a rare treat to have two such distinctly styled outfits in collaboration, and the evening begins with the Brodsky Quartet – original childhood founders Jacqueline Thomas and Ian Belton on cello and violin, with Paul Cassidy on viola and Daniel Rowland on violin – joining Topology double-bassist Robert Davidson's composition written especially for the Stradbroke Chamber Music Festival. Honouring his late uncle's resting place of North Stradbroke Island, it's an emotional piece that brings the landscape duly to mind. As the rest of Toplogy join the stage, saxophonist John Babbage's Dance Of The '80s presents some darker, more robust themes with a definite era bent before composer Andrew Ford emerges from the audience to introduce String Quartet No.3, a new work commissioned last year for the Brodsky's 40th anniversary. In four movements, the first emerges with the wonder and glee of Thomas and Belton's childhood explorations, leading to the second Cradle Song movement dedicated to the memory of young Brisbane violinist Richard Pollett. The quartet's pent up energy spills into a vibrant and intense high-end pitch shift led by Rowland's mesmerising and very physical performance style before a fitting reference to their Northumbria home is inserted into the slowest movement in the form of the traditional Maa Bonny Lad.

Speech melody work Three Men And A Blonde has been composed by Davidson especially for this occasion; during various phone calls he asked each member separately: “So who are the Brodsky Quartet?”, recording their answers and developing a sequence of melody to enable both a musical and verbal response. It's intriguing to watch the quartet individually interact with the recordings, adding emphasis and oodles of charm as each play up to the wonderful words spoken about them, and by them. As the relative newcomer, Rowland's recorded contribution identifies their characteristic bond:  “The three of them, they understand each other without words.” Having worked extensively with Elvis Costello, the quartet recreates part of his acclaimed ballet suite Il Sogno alongside Topology, alternately playful, choppy and mournful. A toe-tapping swing emerges between Thomas, Davidson and Topology's violia player Bernard Hoey with grins exchanged as the double-bassist's bear-like hands offer a percussive interlude. An encore nicknamed The Beast demands the full attention of all nine performers who cleverly weave Rick James' iconic Superfreak bass melody into the mix, leaving the audience enthralled, soothed and moved in equal measures.