“…some of Australia’s finest string and wind players.” Sydney Arts Guide

Three quartets of time, mortality and eternity for Omega Ensemble‘s ETERNAL QUARTETS.

Death and music have always made an unlikely couple. But perhaps no two composers have directly reflected on their own mortality more than Schubert and Messiaen.

Written and premiered in the dead of winter whilst Messiaen was a prisoner of war at a Nazi Stalag Camp, Quartet for the End of Time not only presents Messiaen’s spiritual resilience, but also the unlikely combination of piano, clarinet, violin and cello. This unusual instrumentation was a reflection of the resources available in the camp.

Schubert’s Death and the Maiden was one of his last works, written as he suffered from a long illness. Both pieces are not just reflections of mortality, but an affirmation of life.

Also included is a rare presentation of Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings rendered in the original string quartet version. A staple piece with orchestras since its premiere, this work becomes personal in its original chamber form.

Program
Samuel Barber: Adagio for Strings, Op.11
Franz Schubert: String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, D.810 “Death and the Maiden”
Olivier Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time

Omega Ensemble [Facebook] ETERNAL QUARTETS [Facebook event] plays at City Recital Hall [bookings] Wednesday 11 April @ 7.30pm . Preconcert talk: 6.45pm – 7.15pm by Mark Grandison.