2015-16 Repertoire
“Essential Arianna”
Mozart: Quartet in D minor, K.421
Kevin Puts: Credo for String Quartet
Beethoven: String Quartet in B-flat Major, Op.130
The Arianna Quartet launches their 2015-16 Touhill Concert Series with three riveting works that capture the power, grace, elegance and nuance of the art of the string quartet. Mozart’s impassioned Quartet in D minor, K.421 opens the ASQ’s season, striking a delicate balance between hushed utterances and operatic grandeur, luring us into the beauty of Mozart’s dark timbres. The ASQ is then thrilled to present Pulitzer Prize winning composer Kevin Puts’ mesmerizing Credo for String Quartet. Originally from St. Louis, Mr. Puts has established himself as one of America’s most important composers. Famous for its gripping drama and unparalleled intimacy of expression, Beethoven’s revolutionary Quartet in B-flat Major, Op.130 closes this evening of essential quartet classics.
“Kammeraku!”
Friday, October 30, 2015
Debussy: Quartet in G minor, Op.10
Fujinaga Kengyo: Yachiyo Jishi
Schlefer: Dream Corner
The Arianna Quartet joins forces with shakuhachi grand master James Nyoraku Schlefer, world-renowned koto virtuoso Yumi Kurosawa, and acclaimed master shamisen player Yuko Reikano Kumura, as the Kyo-Shin-An ensemble returns for another memorable evening of music making with the ASQ. This unique concert fuses the ancient traditions of Japanese instrumentation with Western classical music’s string quartet, producing an experience that forges new frontiers in music, and provides audiences with a once in a lifetime concert experience.
“Salud! Saude!”
Friday, February 5, 2016
Villa-Lobos: String Quartet No.1
Piazzolla: Four for Tango
Ginastera: String Quartet No.1, Op.20
In celebration of their seventh trip to Brazil, the Arianna Quartet brings the sounds from three of South America’s very best to St. Louis! The poised elegance of Heitor Villa-Lobos’ String Quartet No.1 is followed by the hypnotic, infectious sounds of Astor Piazzolla’s emblematic Argentinian tango style, and Alberto Ginastera’s sizzling String Quartet No.1 brings the evening to a fiery close. This is a program that promises set the Touhill ablaze!
“Octet!”
Arianna and St. Petersburg
Friday, March 4, 2016
Beethoven: Quartet in E-flat Major, Op.74 “Harp” (Arianna Quartet)
Shostakovich: Quartet No.9 in E-flat major, Op.117 (St. Petersburg Quartet)
Mendelssohn: Octet in E-flat Major, Op.20
The Arianna Quartet welcomes the internationally acclaimed St. Petersburg String Quartet to St. Louis for a special evening of great music among friends. The Arianna Quartet kicks off the concert with a performance of Beethoven’s robust Quartet in E-flat Major, Op.74, the “Harp”, with the St. Petersburg Quartet following in a performance of Shostakovich Quartet No.9, a deeply personal and reflective work of immense scope. To cap the evening, the Arianna and St. Petersburg Quartets take the stage together for a performance of Felix Mendelssohn’s jubilant String Octet, the ultimate party piece among friends!
“Beethoven’s Triumph”
Friday May 6, 2016
Grieg: Quartet in G minor, Op.27
Beethoven: String Quartet in C# minor, Op.131
The ASQ’s season finale begins with Edvard Grieg’s electrifying String Quartet in G minor, Op.27, an audience favorite that soars with a breadth of expression and powerful resonance like no other in the string quartet repertoire. The Arianna Quartet brings their 2015-16 series to a close with Beethoven’s monumental late string quartet, the Quartet in C# minor, Op.131. As a musical testament to the power and fragility of the human experience, Beethoven’s creation is a timeless masterpiece that offers hope, strength and insight into the complexity of humankind’s emotional and intellectual existence. Come share this memorable evening with the Arianna Quartet!