the performers:
Maxwell Quartet + Anthony Friend (clarinet)
the programme:
Haydn Quartet in C No. 1 + Scottish folk music + Mozart Clarinet Quintet
about the music:
This concert kicks off with one of Joseph Haydn’s string quartets (opus 74, number 1) - a great example of a classical string quartet. Get into the spirit by listening to the bouncy, bold & brilliant fourth movement below.
The Maxwell Quartet will continue with a selection of Scottish folk music. There are a number of recordings of them performing this kind of repertoire on YouTube, and we thoroughly recommend listening to a few. (We went into a youtube wormhole and only emerged an hour or so later…)
The final piece in the concert will see Anthony Friend join the Maxwell Quartet for Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet. One of the first examples of a composition written for this configuration of instruments, it’s a popular favourite to this day - not least because of the captivating melodies throughout.
Here’s a recording of the first movement, performed at Oslo’s Kon Tiki Chamber Music Festival. The movement really sets the mood for the rest of the piece, with beautiful lyrical lines and quick, virtuosic runs passed between the instruments - unlike a clarinet concerto accompanied by strings, the quintet involves the clarinet and string quartet more intimately.
The second movement follows with an iconic long sumptuous melody from the clarinet, before the third movement brings the sounds of the Minuet: a stately ballroom dance.
The finale is a theme and variations. The quintet will play a phrase, before repeating it in different styles. Listen out for how each variation in this piece has a contrasting mood and character. For example, the third variation here is a slow lament, whereas the fourth is cheeky and joyous.
about the performers:
The Maxwell Quartet is formed of four close friends who grew up playing folk and classical music together in youth orchestras and music schools across Scotland.
They’re regarded as one of Britain's finest young string quartets, with a strong connection to their folk music heritage and a commitment to bringing together wide-ranging projects and programmes to expand the boundaries of the string quartet.
Joining forces with stellar clarinettist Anthony Friend for this concert - who is also Artistic Director of the Spotlight Chamber Concerts series of which this event is part of - they are sure to bring this repertoire to life.
the venue:
This event is part of the Spotlight Chamber Concerts series, taking place at St John’s Waterloo throughout December. It’s run by the same people who put together this summer’s stunning Bandstand Chamber Festival in Battersea Park.
All of the concerts in the series will take place ‘in the round’, with socially distanced seats surrounding the performers (check out the set-up in the image below).
The venue will be transformed with dramatic lighting - only spotlights centred on the musicians will light the space (hence the name of the festival) - ensuring a truly unique immersive atmosphere.
the price:
£12 (for balcony seats. £20 for standard seats + £30 for premium)