Saturday, May 2, 2009, 7:30 PM
Mozart, Watkins, Bartók, Vierne
Mozart - String Quintet in C major, K515
Huw Watkins - Fantasy for viola and piano
INTERVAL
Bartók - Rhapsodie No. 1 for violin and piano
Vierne - Piano Quintet in C minor, Op. 35
Wine will be served in the interval.
Band A: £15
Band B: £12 (view may be slightly restricted)
Band C: £10 (very limited / no view)
£5 reduction for students (NUS or equivalent card required) and under 18's.
Mozart's C major viola quintet (for standard string quartet, plus a viola) is widely regarded as one of his finest pieces of chamber music, written in the spring of 1787. This is followed by Huw Watkins' Fantasy for viola and piano (written in 2006), an outstanding and very accessible piece from one of the foremost contemporary British composers. Bartók's two Rhapsodies for violin and piano (we hear the first tonight) are among his most easily enjoyable works, full of gypsy dances and rhythmic drive. The Vierne piano quintet that rounds off the evening is truly a neglected masterpiece. Louis Vierne was one of the foremost French romantic composers, and although he is often thought of as primarily a composer for the organ, he wrote some wonderful chamber music and the piano quintet is the pinnacle of these, a work full of drama, virtuosity and excitement.