Last October the Edinburgh Quartet launched Intimate Voices, the first mini-series in its 2015-16 programme, with a fabulous Rush Hour concert of music by Leos Janacek, enhanced by Ron Butlin’s readings of the composer’s letters. More concerts followed throughout Scotland, including a triumphant performance of works by Sibelius, Schubert and Shostakovich at the Queen’s Hall in November. You can read The Edinburgh Reporter’s review of the Rush Hour concert here and the Queen’s Hall concert here.
The quartet’s aim in performing this year’s Creative Scotland funded programme is to define what is special about chamber music groups. For spring, the quartet moves on to Storm/Stress, a project showcasing the emotional power of the quartet repertoire. Borrowing its title from the Sturm und Drang literary movement in eighteenth century Germany, the concerts will include not only Haydn’s typical Sturm und Drang work, String Quartet Op 76 No 2 but also Grieg’s String Quartet No 1 in G Minor and Bartok’s String Quartet No 3 – both of which were written at a high emotional temperature!
Four voices, all string instruments, may at first seem to be a limited musical resource for powerful emotional statements, but the Edinburgh Quartet will show audiences that some of the stormiest and most striking music is often written for the string quartet.
The Edinburgh Quartet will perform at the Queen’s Hall, Clerk Street at 7.30pm on 17th February 2016. Tickets are available from the Box Office (0131 668 2019) or online here and cost £15/£12/£5 (students), accompanied children admitted free.
