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Artisan String Quartet in Concert

Presented by Artisan Quartet at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church

July 15, 2010

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Program:

Mozart: String Quartet in C major, K. 465 "Dissonance"
Debussy: String Quartet in G Minor, op. 10

 

About the program

 

Mozart’s “Dissonance” quartet, so nicknamed for the slow tempo and dark, chromatic harmonies of the first movement’s introduction, is the last of six quartets considered by many to be Mozart’s most personal work. They were composed at a leisurely pace over four years (rather than on commission with a deadline) and dedicated to Joseph Haydn. Significantly influenced by Mozart’s close association with Haydn during their sojourns in Vienna, this work was initially received with skepticism after its 1785 premiere because its complexity and musical sophistication were beyond most people’s comprehension. It has since become revered for its range and intensity of emotional expression, from deepest angst to soaring exhilaration.

 

In contrast to “Dissonance,” which is one of numerous Mozart quartets, Debussy’s Op. 10 was his only string quartet. Written during a period in which Debussy had temporarily abandoned operatic composition and became interested in Germanic musical forms, the String Quartet in G Minor was written for one of the quartet societies increasingly popular at the end of the nineteenth century. Its 1893 premiere was met, like that of Mozart’s “Dissonance,” with incomprehension: one reviewer wrote that it was “bewilderingly full of originality and charm, but diabolically difficult.” However, Debussy’s quartet has also become a cornerstone of the repertoire for top-level ensembles.