Lionel Bradley Bulletin, 13 Feb 1939

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Feb. 13 Monday Pop. Kolisch Quartet

Having missed their two recitals I was glad that the Kolisch Quartet appeared also at the Pops & that for Haydn’s quartet in E flat (op 76, 6) they had substituted the one in B flat (op 76, 4). The E flat is less consistently good than most of the later Haydn Quartets but the B flat is a lovely work & seemed to me to be very well played. Ten days ago the critics accused their Mozart playing of being dull. Perhaps they will say this was dull, too: but it wasn’t. Of course the Kolisch are pre-eminent in modern works & Berg’s Lyric Suite was given magnificently. It is a strange & fascinating work & to hear it on the gramophone can give no idea of how in actual performance both players and audience are rapt away. The sheer mastery & unanimity of their playing is doubtless helped by the fact that they know their repertoire well enough to use no music. But it does look a little odd to see no lights & no music-stands. Moreover the leader, being left handed, sits on the right. There was great enthusiasm at the end to which they responded with an encore. It was something I know very well but for the life of me I couldn’t say what or by whom. All I knew was that I had never heard it played so well before. If I do find out, later, will my lack of recognition or memory be shameful! (It was Schubert’s Quartetsatz in C minor)

excerpt from 'Lionel Bradley Bulletin, 13 Feb 1939' (262 words)

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