Pacifica Quartet heats up Foellinger February 3, 2004 By John Frayne It was a night of wind-chill warnings as the Pacifica Quartet played Thursday at Krannert Center. But the mood was warm and exciting inside Foellinger Great Hall as the recently installed University of Illinois quartet-in-residence gave a challenging and musically rewarding concert of chamber music by Mozart, Hindemith and Beethoven. For an ice-breaker, the Pacifica group chose the Adagio and Fugue, K. 546, of Mozart, perhaps as a reference to the Bach fugal array offered by the Brentano Quartet on Sunday. The Pacifica played the Mozart with a firm, rounded sound, in which first violinist Simin Ganatra opened the adagio section with tender phrasing, seconded by the strong decisive cello of Brandon Vamos. The fugue was entered with a lively, spirited tempo, and the musical possibilities of the subject were explored and repeated just often enough. Part of Mozart's genius was to know when enough was enough. Before the Hindemith String Quartet No. 3, Op. 32, second violinist Sibbi Bernhardsson gave a short speech about Paul Hindemith (1895-1963), calling him one of the most important composers of the 20th century. One expects the propulsive energy of the second movement of this piece. It was almost Hindemith's trademark, and this section received wild and powerful playing from the Pacifica. The third movement was the welcome surprise for me. This began with a suave, swaying, rising theme that expressed the more tender side of the composer. This was the high point of this quartet for me. But other delights followed. The fast fourth movement had a brilliant cadenza for cellist Vamos, and the final rondo had a trick ending, which was carried off with admirable panache by the Pacifica Quartet; very soft playing was followed by a resounding cadence. For the second half of the program, the quartet trod on the sacred ground of Beethoven's late quartets, the holy of holies of the string quartet repertory. In the C-sharp minor, Op. 131 Quartet of Beethoven, the outstanding qualities of this group stood in high relief. First violinist Ganatra plays with lovely phrasing, matched by dramatic vigor. The inner voices are adroitly handled by second violinist Bernhardsson. Violist Masumi Per Rostad has a habit of widely swaying as he plays, giving visual confirmation to the broadly lyrical force of his playing. Cellist Vamos has a powerful dramatic style; his cello is the firm harmonic foundation to the ensemble. This quartet by Beethoven is a jewel case of riches. With three movements more than the usual four, this work has a wide range of feelings and moods. If you had ever heard this quartet before, you would remember the lightning speed of the fifth, "Presto," movement. The quartet played this movement with virtuoso excitement. Not only in the excellent playing of the individual movements, but in the expression of the subtleties and profundities of Beethoven's structural arrangement, this quartet did an outstanding and memorable job.