Purcell, Haydn, Britten

Description

Music with a nationalistic color was trendy in the 19th and 20th centuries. Composers like Edvard Grieg, Jean Sibelius, Antonín Dvořák, and Ralph Vaughan Williams drew on themes and music from folk culture. Benjamin Britten found his own way to express national identity musically by engaging intensively with the work of Henry Purcell and drawing inspiration from it; the best-known example is probably the variations on a theme by Purcell titled «Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra».

On the 250th anniversary of Henry Purcell's death on November 21, 1945, Benjamin Britten's String Quartet No. 2 premiered, featuring numerous references to Purcell. This is most evident in the third movement, titled «Chacony». Its main motif, which is explored and transformed in 21 variations and four sections—first harmonically, then rhythmically, melodically, and finally formally—is based on Purcell's famous Chaconne in G minor, which pushed the typical "sweet" dissonances of English string music at the time to the extreme. Britten himself arranged this work for string orchestra in 1955. The Winterthur String Quartet presents both "Chaconys," the original arranged by Britten and his homage in the string quartet.

In between, Haydn's String Quartet Op. 54/2 is performed. Although it was composed about three years before his first trip to London, its experimental form, breaking many conventions, fits excellently into the program.

Program:
Henry Purcell/Benjamin Britten - Chacony in G minor, Z 730, arranged for string quartet by Benjamin Britten
Joseph Haydn - String Quartet in C major, Op. 54/2
- Intermission -
Benjamin Britten - String Quartet No. 2 in C major, Op. 36

Performers:
Winterthur String Quartet
Bogdan Božović - Violin
Francesco Sica - Violin
Jürg Dähler - Viola
Flurin Cuonz - Cello

Highlights

• Performance of Britten's String Quartet No. 2 for the 250th anniversary of Henry Purcell
• Comparison of the "Chaconys" by Britten and Purcell
• Works by Haydn, Britten, and Purcell

General Information

The concert takes place at the Stadthaus Winterthur and presents a program that highlights the connection between British and English music as well as national inspiration in classical music. It includes works by Haydn, Britten, and Purcell, performed by the Winterthur String Quartet and soloists.

Location

Stadthausstrasse 4a, 8400 Winterthur, Schweiz

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