Fare thee well, Dudok

I've talked of the Dudok quartet here several times not least for their excellent and varied  performances, but there's also a personal aspect given Marie-Louise stayed with us and the rest, Dave, Judith, Marleen, stayed close by and we drove them and chatted widely, about music, of course, but also about Amsterdam and climate and arts and bikes and more.  They are a warm group and committed and aware so quite fascinating and to top it off, Marleen had a close friends here after studying at ANU.  Small world.  I love all that about visitors.  We tried to show them the local scene, but their time was short and they were busy, but they were all at a gig at Verity Lane and we passed by Smiths and Marleen dropped in to Molly while Imogene was having a break.  We obviously talked of sex shops and Amsterdam dope but also the Bimhuis and Concertgebouw and instrument funding and Blue Poles and how they recently played with the Night Watch as a backdrop (wow!).  But these things come to an end with a drop off at Jolimont for Murrays to Sydney and the long flight home.  The next evening I was playing at Molly and it seemed so long since they'd left and yet they were probably just landing.  Let's hope they get back here sometime soon. In the meantime, just to confirm that Dudok has inclusive tastes, see them playing an arrangement by Oene van Giel of Giant Steps for string quartet.

The Dudok Quartet Amsterdam comprise Judith Van Driel and Marleen Wester (violins), Marie-Louise de Jong (viola) and David Faber (cello).

Some visiting delights of Amsterdam

It's a little different with mates.  I was recording so nabbed the front of house spot to turn on and off the recorder and get some good pics so I was right under the eyes of the Dudok Quartet.  Marie-Louise viola is staying with us and we are driving the group frequently so I would be watched.  Suffice to say it was so easy with Dudok Quartet Amsterdam.  They were such a huge pleasure from the start, both musically and as entertainment.  This was casual with chatty and informative introductions and a group ethic that the audience is part of the performance.  Then they started on Mozart and it was alive, mobile, energetic from the start.  Judith spoke of her playing this as an early piece with David ~age 18 and how their teacher had wondered at their choice, given it's demanding and so exposed.  They soon won a competition playing it.  Whatever, I was stunned by the performance form the first bars.  But they play all manner of styles and welcome the modern.  The second piece was a recent original by composer Holly Harrison who was in the audience. That was another competition winner.  All pizz bass-like lines (with all manner of cello pizz techniques to all four fingers), loud dissonance that verged on noise, modern sounds of pop and jazz, seeming to verge on delirium at times.  Then a composer I didn't recognise, Grażyna Bacewicz, with her post-WW2 String Quartet no.4.  I found it worthy and attractive.  It didn't catch me quite like the other two, but I must listen again.  As a short encore, they played their arrangement of Tchaikovsky Piano prelude no.17 with the most delicate and lovely violin from Judith.  Joyful and a delight but also a concert of considerable intent and superb performance, both as individuals and stunningly as a group.  They talk of spending most days together when not performing, in their home studio.  It shows.  Just delightful and superbly capable.

The Dudok String Quartet Amsterdam performed at the Albert Hall for the Canberra International Music Festival.  Dudok are Judith Van Driel and Marleen Wester (violins), Marie-Louise de Jong (viola) and David Faber (cello).  Holly Harrison composed the recent commission, Balderdash,  BTW the quartet is named for Willem Marinus Dudok (1884-1974), Dutch modernist architect born in Amsterdam.