Stirring Kaleidoscope
Katarzyna Jackowska
Szczecin Philharmonic
The concert program is a history of the string quartet in three acts. It began in 1779 when Haydn could start composing not just for his employer, Prince Esterházy. The Quartet Op. 33 No. 2, written for the Russian Grand Duke Paul, earned the nickname The Jokebecause of its surprising final movement, leaving the audience unsure whether the piece ended.
String Quartet No. 1, known as The Kreutzer Sonata, was written by Janáček in 1923. The composer was inspired by one of the characters in Leo Tolstoy's novel, which has the same title. He conveyed in music her psychological drama, containing both moments of conflict and bursts of emotion, a passionate, creative frenzy leading to catharsis and ultimate culmination.
The concert will conclude with Tansman's Triptych for String Quartet. Tansman once said: I do not believe in a revolution in music, only in evolution. Let these words be our guiding theme as we explore the magnificent history of string quartets!
