Government House Ballroom, Perth
September 26, 2018

Attending the Australian String Quartet’s performance of Schubert Ledger Shostakovich was almost like stepping back in time. In the Government House Ballroom, with its high dome ceilings, classical symmetry and abundance of chandeliers and sconces, the ASQ presented its audience with the four, rare 18th century Guadagnini instruments secured on an exclusive loan from the UKARIA Foundation. But while the past was on display, so too was the present. Tablets replaced sheet music. a red dress brought vibrancy to the otherwise all-black concert attire of the quartet, and the String Quartet No 2 of Australian composer James Ledger – the second work of his to be commissioned by the ensemble – provided the meat between two canonised works of non-living composers. Watching the past and present interact and the relationship between the two unfold made for an entirely satisfying night of music-making by the ASQ.

The Australian String Quartet. Photo supplied 

Schubert’s String Quartet No 13 13 in A Minor, or the Rosamunde Quartet, draws inspiration from multiple sources, including his incidental music for the 1823 play Rosamunde, Princess of Cyprus, and his own tortured existence...