Concert – Divertimento String Quartet

Saturday 7th Mar – 3pm Temple Methodist Church, Taunton, TA1 3PY.
Tickets £20, students £10, under 18s free, in advance from enquiries@divertimento.uk.com, 01803 863677 or at the door.

J.P Rameau – Chaconne from Castor & Pollux Suite
Fritz Kreisler String Quartet in A minor
Robert Schumann String Quartet in A, Op 41 no 3

Rameau’s Chaconne from Castor et Pollux is from his opera where characters wrestle with fate, love, and moral dilemmas. Rameau’s music elevates these conflicts into a realm of expressive sophistication, making this opera a cornerstone of 18th-century French music.

Although overshadowed by Kreisler’s fame as a virtuoso and his popular salon pieces, his string quartet is a substantial and rewarding work. It combines melodic charm with structural sophistication, offering performers and listeners a glimpse of Kreisler’s depth as a composer beyond the encore repertoire.

Schumann’s String Quartet in A was composed in 1842, which was known as Schumann’s “chamber music year,” during which he composed three string quartets, a piano quartet, and the celebrated piano quintet. After years devoted to piano works and songs, Schumann immersed himself in the quartets of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, determined to master the genre. The Op. 41 quartets were written in just five weeks and dedicated to Felix Mendelssohn.