The Castalian String Quartet is known for its powerful individuality of sound (The Scotsman) and the perfection (The Observer) of its performances. The quartets recital features two masterpieces of the chamber repertoire, alongside a world premiere.
Leo Janeks The Kreutzer Sonata is an impassioned musical reflection on Leo Tolstoys short story about an ill-fated love triangle. The world premiere of leading British composer Mark-Anthony Turnages Awake, co-commissioned by the quartet, promises to be equally potent.
Poet T. S. Eliot described Ludwig van Beethoven's late works as heavenly. Op 130 " the third of five quartets the composer wrote in the last two years of his life " is one of his most extraordinary achievements. Highlights include a beautiful cavatina, which Beethoven said he composed in the tears of melancholy. The pieces finale (the Grosse Fuge) continues to astonish listeners with its musical athleticism.
Supported by Susie Thomson
Castalian String Quartet
Janek String Quartet No 1 Kreutzer Sonata
Mark-Anthony Turnage Awake (World Premiere)
Beethoven String Quartet No 13 in B flat Op 130 with Grosse Fuge Op 133