In Australian composer Jack Frerer’s Spiral Sequences (2018), centripetal and centrifugal forces conspire to draw in and fling out musical patterns and sequences that serendipitously evoke the sparkling late classicism of a teenage Mendelssohn and rich romanticism of a young Webern.

Serendipitously, because in the context of this auspiciously brilliant first concert by the equally youthful Esmé Quartet’s first Australian tour for Musica Viva, Spiral Sequences neatly summarised (in reverse) Webern’s 1905 Langsamer Satz (Slow Movement) and Mendelssohn’s String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 13 (1827), both heard before the interval.

Not only that: it also pointed forward to the marvellous metamorphoses and arabesques of the final work in the program, Debussy’s String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10.

Esmé Quartet. Photo supplied

Thus, while the German-based Esmé Quartet’s newest member, violist Dimitri Murath admitted following the Webern that there was no particular theme for the program, there is nevertheless a satisfying affective balance among the four works which certainly on this occasion made for an intense, compact listening experience.

Especially given the quality of the performances. Despite having only formed in 2016, the Esmé Quartet (the other players, all Korean-born,...