REVIEW: Aurea Quartet, King's Lynn Town Hall

The King’s Lynn Festival’s first Coffee Concert this season would be hard to beat even if the temperatures were lower!

The Aurea Quartet, an exciting group of young musicians, based in Manchester, consists of Julian Azkoul, 1st Violin, Rosemary Attree, 2nd Violin, Christine Anderson, Viola and Abby Hayward, Cello and they were joined by Marcin Zdunik, 2nd Cello in order to give a revelatory performance of Schubert’s great, late masterpiece, his String Quintet in C Major, D.956.

This multi-faceted work, written just a few weeks before the composer’s death in 1828, seems to encompass all human experience, all it joys and sorrows, and sadly, was not publicly performed until 1850.

All the qualities needed for a fine performance of this work were much in evidence during the recital. Warmth, clarity, tenderness and joy, all present and the full audience appreciated a clear acoustic at Lynn’s Town Hall. Marcin Zdunik , The festival artist-in-residence, excelled as 2nd Cello!

Later at All Saint’s Church, Hillington Square, the Quartet gave a short free recital consisting of movements from Quartets by Mendelssohn and Beethoven.

An excellent bonus for music lovers from the festival and quartet. We wish them well in the future!

Andy Tyler