Concert | Metropolitana Soloists

Friday, April 6th 7pm
ISEG, Caixa Geral de Depósitos Auditorium

F. Schubert String Quartet No. 12, D. 703,  Quartettsatz
A. Borodin String Quartet No. 2

Ana Pereira,  José Teixeira (violins),  Joana Cipriano (viola),  Ana Cláudia Serrão (cello)

More than just paying homage to extraordinary musical works, this program invites us to forget time and place for a moment, and to dive "unfiltered" into the romantic universes of Franz Schubert and Alexander Borodin.

Among the 15 String Quartets composed by the Austrian musician, No. 12 heralds his period of creative maturity. The previous ones were intended for a family environment, with amateur performers and a limited level of technical demand. Without such limitations, the dramatic intensity and expressive effortlessness typical of the romantic style emerges. The mysterious restlessness of the first bars illustrates this. This is followed by ostentatious melodies, sometimes naive in appearance, and abrupt changes of mood. It's called Quartettsatzwhich means "quartet movement" in German. In fact, it's unknown why the composer left the work halfway through and didn't finish the remaining three movements. Like Incomplete Symphony, this is the Incomplete Quartet Schubert, even though nothing seems to be missing.

And because it's all about romance, we're joined here by Borodin's String Quartet No. 2. Alongside the opera Prince IgorThis is one of the best-known works by this Russian scientist (a composer in his spare time!), a member of the famous Group of Five. "Complete" - in other words, with the expected four movements - it was written in 1881 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the musician's relationship with his wife. There is therefore speculation about the existence of a subliminal dramaturgy in this score. The cello, an instrument that Borodin knew how to play, would be the figure of the composer himself. The first violin represented his love, although Ekaterina played the piano. In the first and third movements, it's tempting to imagine a loving dialog between the two instruments. Above all, the Nocturne suggests an accurate portrait of an idyllic encounter.


Free admission.