REVIEW: WA Symphony Orchestra violinist Akiko Miyazawa and Cygnus Arioso at Holmes a Court Gallery

A birthday salute to WA Symphony Orchestra violinist Akiko Miyazawa also celebrated five years of her string ensemble project, Cygnus Arioso, in a “40th Notes” quartet recital at Holmes a Court Gallery on Sunday. Miyazawa graciously had young tyro William Huxtable lead from the start, introducing Trey Spruance’s Seraphita, commissioned by the Kronos Quartet in their Fifty for the Future collection. Faint, attenuated chords led in Aaron Dungey’s nimbly sonorous viola for a calm yet fragile ambience underpinned by Isaac Davis’ cello. Soaring to harmonics in violins, the arc then plunged to deep discord in viola-cello, exploiting the full range and tonal variety of the quartet before returning in reassuring, conventional modality; fading to an irresolute cadence. A mash-up of influences from Persian to punk coloured the second movement, Baphomet, as urgent low pizzicato flipped the mood, with foot-stamping percussion supporting violin melody. A distinct Middle-Eastern palette emerged in rhythmic dance measures, as offbeats and flurries raced to an abrupt dismount. Western tonality returned in the finale, Seraphitus; a sparse edge to instrumentation evoking early music, with strong folkloric flavours and dark timbre to match dystopian visions in artworks around the gallery. Miyazawa said opera inspired the next choice, Mozart, showcasing his String Quartet No.15 in D minor to complete the first half. Florid harmony with subtle embellishment opened a very different soundscape to complement a relaxed family matinee, with Miyazawa’s composer husband Lachlan Skipworth running box office and ushering in late arrivals. Fine, filagree-like melodic lines interwove with finesse; running the gamut from soprano-violin to baritone-cello as Miyazawa’s vocal analogy held up in performance. Delicate interchange between violins cascaded to viola and cello in a fluid, whole-souled sequence. A brief pause and the Allegretto second movement drifted in, lilting and limpid; the same flow between players carrying through changes in dynamics and tempo down to a graceful cadence. Sudden drama erupted in the Menuetto and Trio, stark chords and contrasting expression opening a new vista in the rarefied air of the gallery. The Trio section lightened the mood, with barely-there violin over pointed pizzicato speaking of stately halls and dances, before drama re-asserted itself, spicing the ambience. A slow fade heralded the Allegretto finale, a palate-cleanser by contrast; closely collaborative with highlights for Huxtable to shine in silvery, shimmering figures over sustaining harmony. Dungey, too, had a moment in the sun, perhaps reflecting Mozart’s love of the viola; a resonant excursion into the lower reaches setting all in sharper relief. A second viola solo triggered renewed attack in all parts, blending at last in a rhapsodic conclusion. After the interval, Miyazawa invoked “ikigai” – the Japanese sense of individual purpose – to announce her “hero” Beethoven and his String Quartet Opus 18, No.5 in A major. Serene clarity in Miyazawa’s lead over densely sonorous harmony crossed a watershed between centuries. Lithe, agile playing across the ensemble heightened the intensity of Beethoven’s vision, scurrying separately then converging in sparkling synergy, with Miyazawa’s sinuous artistry the icing on the cake. Duetting violins opened the Menuetto second movement, drawing in viola and cello to the dance as Miyazawa led again with silky skills over velvet accompaniment. Violins repeated their paso doble, spinning out to viola and cello then pausing and repeating through to a courtly cadence. The Andante Cantabile third stanza matched its label. A gentle, song-like melody gave way to a round; rising from cello through the range to coalesce in kaleidoscopic counterpoint. Lead violin broke away in nimble display to encourage delicacy in the lower register; trilling to summon more studious measures. Sonorous melody wove a spell to unleash more ensemble energy, stolid in rhythm, resolving to a lighter-than-air motif then ebbing and flowing to a solemn conclusion. At the last, viola lit the fuse on a furtive fugue, whirling and swirling with mercurial verve in a will-o-the-whisp finale; lithe and vital as a summer squall. For an encore, Huxtable introduced four Nordic folk tunes curated by the Danish String Quartet. Dark attenuated tones seem to hark back to the opening, calling across oceans and eons to a thin space between land and sky. Huxtable then unwound a spirited reel, redolent of northern climes and crystalline light. Ethereal echoes in Dungey’s viola next summoned profound depths in Davis’ cello and jaggedly offbeat violins, all uniting in a wildly eccentric dance bound together by reckless enthusiasm. Finally, a furious jig challenged violins, solo then in duet, over euphonious viola and cello; rising in pace and volume to a bustling conclusion. Cygnus Arioso next present a Summer Camp Concert on February 1, 2025.