Mozart was among the first to explore the piano quartet, and it is his graceful E flat quartet that opens this concert. The evening continues with Bridge’s quartet, best summed up by his teacher, Britten: ‘Sonorous yet lucid, with clear, clean lines, grateful to listen to and to play. It is the music of a practical musician, brought up in German orthodoxy, but who loved French romanticism and conception of sound—Brahms happily tempered with Fauré.’ John Lenehan’s new arrangement of Debussy begins the second half, before Schumann’s quartet, composed in 1842, one of his most productive chamber music years.
Pre-concert talk | Robert Hugill, 5:30pm - 'The Cinderella Effect: A History of the Piano Quartet'
Intended for amateurs but in fact far too difficult, Mozart’s first piano quartet effectively created a new genre, which remained in the shadow of its big brother, the piano quintet. Even Schumann’s piano quartet remained far less popular than his contemporaneous quintet.
Conway Hall Sunday Concerts
Founded in the 1880s, our chamber music concert series is the longest-running of its kind in Europe. Conway Hall was purpose-built in 1929 to host concerts and lectures, and they have continued here until the present day. The ethos of 'affordable classical music for all' still remains. Visit our website for more information about all our Autumn 2019 Season music events, including concerts, pre-concert talks and recitals.