Calidore String Quartet

Antonín Dvořák’s String Quartet No. 12, the “American”, is one of the most beloved works in the chamber music repertoire. It was written during the composer’s time in the United States and is characterised by warm, lyrical melodies and a dance-like lightness. In the music, one senses both Dvořák’s Bohemian roots and the influence of American folk music and spirituals.

The thread running through the concert is European composers who, in different ways, embraced American influences. The Austrian composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold was among those who fled Nazism and went on to build a new career as one of Hollywood’s most influential film composers, winning two Academy Awards. Yet he also wrote chamber music, such as this richly late-Romantic and dramatic string quartet.

Between Dvořák and Korngold, we hear a brand-new work by Anna Clyne, born and raised in London and now long based in New York. With her imaginative and compelling music, she has in recent years become one of the most in-demand composers worldwide.

We hear the New York-based Calidore String Quartet, praised for their insightful interpretations and exceptional ensemble playing. The Washington Post wrote: “Four more individual musicians are unimaginable, yet these speak, breathe, think and feel as one.”