Verona Quartet
Essences — A String Quartet for the 21st Century
Note: Town Hall events are approximately 75 minutes long.
Program
Mendelssohn: String Quartet Op. 12 (25 mins)
Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 9, Op. 117 (27 mins)
INTERMISSION
Beethoven: String Quartet Op 59, No. 2 (35 mins)
The Verona Quartet returns to Town Hall with Essences, exploring the pieces of music that provide inspiration through the ages.
Beethoven’s innovative approach to the string quartet left an indelible mark on composers who followed him, including Mendelssohn and Shostakovich. Mendelssohn’s String Quartet Op. 12, composed when he was just 20 years old, reflects Beethoven’s influence in its structural complexity and emotional depth. Mendelssohn, while crafting his own distinct voice, drew inspiration from Beethoven’s late quartets, particularly in his exploration of lyrical themes and the interplay of instruments.
In this evening of chamber music, The Verona Quartet explores the throughline that can be traced across history as musicians create the future by snagging melodies and inspiration from the past.
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About The Verona Quartet
Acclaimed as an “outstanding ensemble…cohesive yet full of temperament” (The New York Times), the Verona Quartet has firmly established itself amongst the most distinguished ensembles on the chamber music scene today. The group’s singular sense of purpose earned them Chamber Music America’s coveted 2020 Cleveland Quartet Award, and a reputation for its “bold interpretive strength, robust characterization and commanding resonance” (Calgary Herald). The Quartet serves on the faculty of the Oberlin College and Conservatory as the Quartet-in-Residence. In addition to its position at Oberlin, the Quartet recently held residencies at Nova Scotia’s Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance, North Carolina’s Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle and the ENCORE Chamber Music Institute. As committed advocates of diverse programming, the Verona Quartet curated the UpClose Chamber Music Series on behalf of the COT, electrifying audiences with their “sensational, powerhouse performance[s]” (Classical Voice America).
Presented by Town Hall Seattle.