Esposito Quartet - Autumn String Quartet Series

Donnacha Dennehy’s ‘Wig’ was commissioned by the Foundation as a companion piece to Beethoven’s quartet Op.135. Entertaining and vital, as Donnacha’s music always is, it sits equally well on its own and is here surrounded by two lesser known masterpieces.
 
Shostakovich’s fourth quartet belongs to the group of works of Jewish inspiration that were in part a reaction to the murder of Jews in German-occupied Europe and in part a protest against the resurgent spirit of anti-Semitism apparent in Russia. Although the quartet was written in 1949, it was not felt safe to premiere it until 1953, after the death of Stalin. César Franck wrote his dramatic and powerful string quartet in 1890, the last year of his life.
 
The Musicians
Mia Cooper
Anna Cashell
Joachim Roewer
William Butt
 
The Programme
Shostakovich – Quartet No.4 in D major
Donnacha Dennehy – ‘Wig’
Franck – Quartet in D major
 
Running time: 90 minutes