Tai Kwun｜HK PHIL x TAI KWUN: Chamber Music Series–Quartets of Shadow ＆ Light

Description

SCHUMANN | Piano Quartet in E flat major, op. 47

BRAHMS | Piano Quartet no. 3 in C minor, op. 60

Add the lyricism of violin, viola, and violoncello to the rich sonic resources of the piano and it’s easy to see why gifted composers like Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms, Dvořák, and others composed masterpieces in this attractive genre. Two of the memorable and evergreen piano quartets of this popular ensemble are by Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms. Both of them exhibit the mastery of imaginative piano textures wielded by the two piano virtuosos, and both dare to push the boundaries of the usual stylistic conventions of Romantic music literature. They both share the same relative tonalities: Eb major and C minor. And by the way, both composers adored the same woman, Clara Schumann! The works were composed in very different circumstances: Schumann’s at the height of his musical powers and happiness in his recent marriage to Clara, and Brahms’ during Clara’s and Brahms’ sad, painful vigil over Robert’s descent into insanity and eventual death. But both compositions stemmed out of the circle of three devoted friends – one an exemplar of vivacious early Romanticism and the other a more mature reflection.

The concert runs approximately 70 minutes without an intermission. 
 

Artists

Filippo Gorini | Piano

Andrew Ling | Violin

Kaori Wilson | Viola

Richard Bamping | Cello

The above content is provided by The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra