Sunday 16 May, Corn Exchange, Newbury
7.30pm (finishes approx 9.30pm)
£16.50
Licensed bar
| Krysia Osostowicz | violin |
| Giles Francis | violin |
| Judith Busbridge | viola |
| Bernard Gregor-Smith | cello |
| Schubert | String Quartet in A minor Rosamunde |
| Smetana | String Quartet No 2 in D minor |
| Sibelius | String Quartet in D minor Voces Intimae |
The Dante Quartet present three introspective quartets written by their composers at particularly difficult times in their lives. Schubert wrote his Rosamunde Quartet during his final illness whilst Smetana wrote his Quartet No 2, a relatively short but intense work, after he had become profoundly deaf. Sibelius wrote his Quartet in D minor ‘Voces Intimae’ between his Third and Fourth Symphonies, at a time when he mistakenly believed he was suffering a life threatening illness, and it is thought to be his greatest quartet.
Winner of the prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Chamber Music in 2007 and the Chamber Music section of the BBC Music Magazine Awards in April 2009, the Dante Quartet is known for its imaginative programming and the emotional intensity of its performances.
“These four players are an alchemist’s dream; they turn every note into a nugget of gold.” Oxford Times
