In a sold-out Friends of Chamber Music concert at Gates Concert Hall, the Borromeo String Quartet proved itself worthy of serious attention.
In Wednesday’s program of works by Antonín Dvorák and Béla Bartók, the Boston-based quartet exceeded its fine reputation in a paragon delivery of Bartók’s String Quartet No. 5.
Cellist Yeesun Kim set a vigorous pace through the three abstract themes of the opening allegro movement. She infused the drumbeat of repeated tones and jagged rhythms with a mesmerizing energy – a perfect foil for the lyrical phrases of violinists Nicholas Kitchen and William Fedkenheuer.
The expressive effects of the adagio and andante movements were adroitly delivered by all four players in dialogue of trills, pizzicato glissandos and bits of scales. The calibrated tremolos of each phrase made for a dense sound that spilled into the buoyant middle movement, then segued into the breathless finale.
Blazing into a resonant performance of Dvorák’s Piano Quintet in A major after intermission, the quartet was joined by pianist Jonathan Biss. The young virtuoso delivered a wonderfully nuanced and technically faultless reading of rich melodies and folksy rhythms.
The only flaw in the exquisite artistry was Biss’ heavy-handed take on Mozart’s Piano Sonata in A minor, which opened the program.
