Carducci Quartet: Kurtág and Reich

With his Op.13 String Quartet, György Kurtág invented an entirely new concept: the “microlude”, a tiny, condensed and intense moment of expression, only two of them lasting more than a minute. At the same time, Kurtág pays homage to his predecessors: fellow miniaturist Anton Webern and the Preludes (or maybe “macroludes”) of J.S. Bach.

Reich’s WTC 9/11 is a deeply moving act of solidarity between art form and real events – and real voices. Composed a few years after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre (the WTC of the title), the string quartet “speaks” the words of emergency responders and grieving relatives, as well as thrumming with the anxious, digital tones of a phone off the hook.

Poem is a rare work for string quartet – one of only two surviving examples – by Rebecca Clarke. Written in 1926, it is a sombre piece, channelling some of the spirit of her turbulent Piano Trio, yet with a melancholy edge, and a haunting final passage.

Debussy’s String Quartet was written in 1893, yet still sounds brand new today. With its vigorous central motif, its thrilling plucked Scherzo, an absolute heartbreaker of a slow movement and a dazzling finale, it is easy to see why it was such a game-changer at the time – and why quartets still love to play it.

The Carducci Quartet is known for its exquisite blend of tone and intuitive response to repertoire from all eras. This beautifully curated programme perfectly showcases their ensemble.

Carducci Quartet:
Matthew Denton violin
Michelle Fleming violin
Eoin Schmidt-Martin viola
Emma Denton cello