Romantic Reflections

MENDELSSOHN  String Quartet No. 4 in E minor, Op. 44, No. 2
SCHUBERT  String Quartet No. 15 in G major, D. 887

Joni Roos, violin
Carey Moorman, violin
Michael Dejesus, viola
David Calhoun, cello

From both ends of the Romantic spectrum, enjoy the deeply personal expressions of two unique music masters.  While Mendelssohn may have been the least forward-looking of the important Romantics, practicing a certain Classical purity in his quartets rather than the emotional outpourings and stretching of formal boundaries of his contemporaries, passion and virtuosity are hardly lacking.  The String Quartet No. 4 in E minor is an airy and vibrant work   Ending in a sweeping finale, Franz Schubert’s String Quartet No. 15 in G Major closes the concert. Despite its length, the upbeat tempos and intriguing structure of this work are sure to keep audiences engaged through its final note. Posthumously published in 1851, this was the last quartet penned by Schubert, and has remained a favorite for generations. Its lyrical ideas and vast journeys through various modes are augmented through jarring dynamic contrasts and a surprisingly ambiguous structure, cementing this work’s importance in the early Romantic era.

The concert is free of charge, with a suggested donation of $15.