Hsin-Yun Huang

Evening concert: Mozart, MacMillan, Brahms

Brentano String Quartet + Hsin Yun Huang
Wed 31 Jan 2024 20:15 - 21:55
Wed 31 Jan 2024
20:15 - 21:55
  • Wed 31 Jan 2024
    20:15 - 21:55
    Interval 21:05
    Grote Zaal
    Past event

Program

19:15 / Foyerdeck 1 / Pre-concert talk
Pre-concert talk by Katy Hamilton

20:15 / Main hall / Main programme
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart String quartet nr. 20 KV 499
James MacMillan Heart Speaks to Heart (Europian premiere)
Johannes Brahms String quartet nr. 2

Credits

Brentano String Quartet:
Mark Steinberg violin
Serena Canin violin
Misha Amory viola
Nina Lee cello

Hsin-Yun Huang viola

Four plus one is five

Almost all major composers have at times expanded the string quartet with a fifth instrument. This has resulted in monumental compositions such as Schubert’s quintet with two cellos. Brahms used sketches for his Fifth Symphony for a work with a symphonic design: his Second String Quintet convincingly pushes the boundaries of chamber music. Scottish composer James MacMillan also explored the possibilities of a quintet.

Good relationships with publishers are vital for composers. Mozart dedicated his KV 499 to his publisher and fellow Freemason Franz Anton Hoffmeister. At the age of 57, Brahms wrote to his publisher Simrock that his Second String Quintet would be his last composition, and that he would enjoy a quiet old age. Fortunately, he did not keep this promise, or we would have missed out on some wonderful works.

This concert will be recorded and published by NTR on NPO Klassiek