About the Concert
For many, Shostakovich's string quartets belong to the non plus ultra of chamber music - and his eighth in particular, since he himself spoke of it as his "Requiem". Our resident composer Lera Auerbach has also dedicated herself to this legacy. For her, everything new comes from a precise knowledge of tradition, and one believes to hear clear echoes of Shostakovich in her quartet. Brahms also took his cue from the great predecessors throughout his life, especially Bach's art of counterpoint and variation. His string quartet does not sound like Bach, but he has brought the continuous variations, which quickly captivate the listener, to a similar perfection as the baroque master.
The Collenbusch Quartet has recently impressed with its interpretations of the Beethoven quartets - in this concert, the Philharmonic musicians show that they also enjoy late Romantic and 20th and 21st century music.