Due to an editing error The Cannina Quartet, performing this week at the Bermuda Festival, were incorrectly identified as the Cannina Quartet.

The Cannina Quartet at Ruth Seaton James Auditorium The art of the string quartet was demonstrated last night with great passion and playfulness, by the Swiss ensemble, the Cannina Quartet.

The programme opened with the Quartet in C major, Opus 59 No.3 by Beethoven, from the Razumovsky series.

The viola player, Wendy Champney, throughout the evening, gave informative introductions to each work. With the Beethoven she offered the audience some insight into their approach to the piece.

"It is always a challenging piece for us and we hope you will enjoy it:'' We certainly did. Their controlled dynamics, ranging from the most distant pianissimo to the most gripping fortissimo brought Beethoven's notes to vibrant life.

After a dramatic introduction with whispered commentary from the ensemble, the movement established itself with a beautiful lyrical theme. This was performed with great passion and faultless ensemble.

The imitative 2nd subject passed from voice to voice with clarity and ease.

The viola playing was absolutely gorgeous with a rich-velvet tone.

In the 2nd movement, the cello was, for the most part, pizzicato. Stephan Goemer made each note resonate throughout the auditorium. The subtle nuances of phrase were explored gracefully by the two violinists, Matthias Enderle and Susanne Frank, while the viola, Wendy Champney, played the 2nd subject theme with great warmth and expression.

The 3rd movement, a minuet, showed the superb dynamic control of this ensemble. There were intricate shadings and magnificent sforzando surprises, `trademarks' of Beethoven's style.

Themes went from player to player without breaking the fluidity of the phrase.

The piece concluded with a frenzied fugal Allegro Molto with the initial statement of the subject given to the viola. This was an exciting and energetic rendition.

I particularly enjoyed Martin Engerle's delightfully expressive demeanour -- he relished both the light-hearted moments as well as those more impassioned ones. A dramatic unison statement before the final coda took this piece to a climactic conclusion.

The second piece, `Quartinen der Verganglichkeit' by the Swiss composer Paul Giger was commissioned by the Cannina Quartet to mark the approaching millennium.

This was a minimalist extravaganza exploring new timbres and techniques much as BarLok did in his quartets at the turn of this century. Wendy Champney's commentary was most useful as she explained the references to the Swiss instrument the alp horn, the use of harmonics and overtones and the 1,000-year old Gregorian chant motif played with, of all things, chopsticks! This piece presented an aural challenge to many in the audience, some of whom did not return after the intermission -- which was a shame.

There was such a range of effects and nuances that on one hearing alone it is difficult to comment in detail. I found the sul-ponticello playing of Susanne Frank deeply expressive and controlled with the col legno cello symbolic perhaps of time ticking by.

This piece opened our ears to new sounds and, as a string player myself, I was fascinated. However, I would have liked to have heard some of the more traditional sounds in partnership with these new timbres and colours.

Aside from one glorious viola modal melody, accompanied by a sustained 2nd violin drone, the richness of the genre was missed. The Cannina Quartet revealed again a superior ensemble technique and control.

The final piece of the evening was the Quartet in G minor, Opus 10, by the French impressionist composer Claude Debussy. This was written in 1893 and, as Ms Champney pointed out, was contemporary with Dvorak's work.

The two styles could not be more different however. Debussy was looking forward to a new harmonic and tonal language whilst Dvorak was rooted firmly in the styles and structures of the 19th century.

The piece is built around a core theme which is stated in each of its four movements. The opening movement explored a range of textures achieving an almost pianistic fluidity at times. It was performed with great passion.

In the second movement the pizzicato theme in the viola might well have been the inspiration for Benjamin Britten's `Playful Pizzicato' from his Simple Symphony, for it has the same lightness and wit.

The expressive third movement was played con sordini with great lyricism and depth of feeling. The players clearly enjoyed the rhythmic drive and tonal colours of the finale and they communicated this to a very appreciative audience.

Kate Ross THEATRE THR REVIEW REV