September 22 & 25, 2018

What’s in a name? When it comes to string quartets, a name evokes many associations. Most importantly the name evokes the sound of the quartet. Think Alban Berg, Jerusalem, Takács, Pavel Haas, Brodsky, Kronos, to name but a few. The Borodin Quartet is no different. Apart from conjuring up a particular sonic DNA, the name Borodin Quartet is immediately associated with tradition. The quartet has been playing for nearly three-quarters of a century, excelling in the Russian repertoire, particularly in the works of Dmitri Shostakovich, with whom the quartet had a personal association in its first 30 years.

Given such a lifespan, the Borodin Quartet is, of course, a regenerating organism, but with newcomers taking on the stylistic traditions of their predecessors, so they say. First violinist, Ruben Aharonian and violist Igor Naidin have been in the quartet since 1996, while cellist Vladimir Balshin joined in 2007 and second violinist Sergei Lomovsky arrived in 2011. This is the quartet’s eighth tour for Musica Viva Australia, the first having been in 1965.

Such a name and such longevity raise audience expectations, especially when presented with two attractive programs, each a study in contrasts. It is sobering to remember,...