The Honolulu Chamber Music Series opened its 53rd season on Sunday with the renowned Shanghai String Quartet performing two staples, Beethoven's Quartet in E-flat major, op. 74, "The Harp"; and Schubert's Quartet in d Minor, D. 810, "Death and the Maiden."

The concert was rounded out with a delightful set of three Chinese folk melodies arranged by the quartet's second violinist, Yi-Wen Jiang.

The "Harp" quartet is so called because the pizzicato technique used in the first movement evokes the plucking of harp strings. The strains of the opening "poco adagio" movement and the contrasting dramatic vigor of the following "allegro" section convinced the audience straightaway of the quartet's dynamic range, flawless technique and authoritative command of the repertoire. The movement's hallmark pizzicatos were executed with precision and those of the cellist, Nicholas Tzavaras, were particularly nuanced and playful.

The contrasting folk song arrangements by Jiang evoked the playing of Chinese folk instruments, especially the erhu, the two-stringed Chinese fiddle. These are sounds the arranger recalled from his youth during the Cultural Revolution. The settings, collectively known as "ChinaSong," were sensitively arranged and effectively used Western harmonies and structure to sonically transport the listener to a rural village in China. With tempos varying from sweetly lyrical to rhythmically energetic, the work was delightfully enjoyable.

The quartet has a reputation for programming such imaginative non-Western works, and this one was delivered with the same authority, sensitivity, passion and conviction that the groups bring to a standard repertoire.

The group was equally at home with the intensely serious "Death and the Maiden." Like the "Harp" quartet, this work involves a set of variations that displays the full range of the quartet's emotive powers. The variations are based on the last lines of the composer's art song of the same name. While the minor key, driving triplet figures and thematic material provided the pervading theme of death, it was not one of bleak hopelessness but rather of stark beauty. Tension was relieved by the Viennese lyricism of a trio movement.

The appreciative audience was rewarded with an encore of a waltz by Anton’n Dvorák. The lilting strains of this little gem sent the crowd humming from the theater.

The next concert in the series, on Nov. 12, features pianist Christopher O'Riley, host of the popular National Public Radio show "From the Top." O'Riley's latest CDs are "Home to Oblivion: An Elliott Smith Tribute" and "Second Grace: The Music of Nick Drake" (World Village/Harmonia Mundi). His performances often combine classical music with adaptations of music by Radiohead, Smith and Drake. In Honolulu, O'Riley will perform music by Drake and Debussy. The audience for the program is expected to be so large that the concert venue was changed to Dillingham Hall at Punahou School.

The Honolulu Chamber Music Series has a long tradition of bringing the finest chamber performers to Hawai'i, and programming such as Shanghai String Quartet and O'Riley has the series starting off this season on the right track.

Gregg S. Geary is head of Sinclair Library and a music librarian at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa.