Kaprálová, Martinů and Debussy

The Pavel Haas Quartet is in its twentieth season and occupies a firm place in the top ten of the string quartet scene. The quartet takes its name from Czech composer Pavel Haas. Not surprisingly, Czech music is an important pillar in the quartet’s idiosyncratic repertoire. In this concert, the beautiful but rarely performed music of composer Vítězslava Kaprálová will be played.

The highly promising Kaprálová did not live beyond twenty-five, but during her short life she wrote seventy works. At the age of twenty, she wrote a string quartet that has folk-music influences and neo-romantic traits, but also already a unique lyrical atmosphere. Her teacher Bohuslav Martinů, whom she followed to Paris, wrote his Fifth String Quartet in response to that of Kaprálová and dedicated it to her. In 1893, in Paris, Debussy wrote his only string quartet, opening up a whole new world of sound and putting an end to entrenched structures.

Programme booklet (Dutch)