The Carnegie Ensemble return to The Old Library with their Summer Concert - ‘Metamorphosis’.
PLEASE NOTE, this concert was rescheduled from June 27th. Because of the easing of restrictions we are now able to offer more tickets for sale.
repertoire
As designed by Viola player and local resident Phil Hall:
R. Strauss “Metamorphosen” (Metamorphoses) - version for 7 solo strings (1945)
One of Richard Strauss’ last works composed at the end of the Second World War.
After completing its composition in April 1945 Strauss wrote:
"The most terrible period of human history is at an end, the twelve year reign of bestiality, ignorance and anti-culture under the greatest criminals, during which Germany's 2,000 years of cultural evolution met its doom”
Whist this could be viewed as a eulogy for the death of the culture of a nation, it is also an uplifting piece, expressing hope and optimism for the future. He achieves this by taking little motifs from Beethoven, Bach and Mozart and transforming them into beautifully rapturous episodes.
After a difficult year of Covid, this poignant, reflective, yet optimistic work seems appropriate to open the concert series at The Exchange, which has itself undergone its own period of transformation in the last 12 months.
J. Brahms Sextet No.2 in G major- 2 violins, 2 violas & 2 cellos (1864-5)
The second of Brahms’ two string sextets is a sunny work and one of his most enjoyable to play and listen to. His richness of invention is apparent throughout and the movements are full of appealing charm and elegance. The third movement is a set of variations, every bit as technical a feat of composition as Strauss’ Metamorphosen. The finale is an athletic race to the finish line whilst retaining a warmth and lyricism typical of the composer.