Classical

A pair of classical gems

String quartets pair up

By EMILY PARKHURST | April 15, 2009

Sunday afternoon, two string quartets — the Borromeo and the Portland — will meet and join forces for a rare performance of a pair of classical gems, Johannes Brahms's String Sextet in G Major, Op. 36 and Felix Mendelssohn's Octet in E flat Major, Op. 20.

This year would see Mendelssohn's 200th birthday, so his work is getting quite a bit of play worldwide. But hearing his octet, which he wrote when he was 16 and later scored for a full orchestra, in its original orchestration is unusual, and all the more special for being played by such extraordinary musicians. And while this performance will mark the end of the PSQ's 40th anniversary season, it merely means the chamber-music season will soon be upon us (not to mention full-on summer festivals)

Mendelssohn is often accused of being devoid of emotion, but Brahms is entirely the opposite and the sextet is no exception — rather, it is one of his more emotional and dramatic works. The addition of the two instruments, a viola and a cello, fill out the bottom of the quartet, on which Brahms leans for some thick, heavy harmonies. Not all is weighty, though: the second-movement scherzo beings with some lovely melodies reminiscent of spring birds, and the third has some truly exciting, bounce-up-off-your-seat moments.

As a bonus for the weekend, two members of the Borromeo String Quartet will also perform in Kennebunk on Saturday. Violinist Nicholas Kitchen and cellist Yeesun Kim will pair for an all-Bach program including the Suite for Cello in G, the Partita No. 2 for violin, and a transcription of a selection of 2-Part Inventions.

Related: Chamber music revival, Quartet for a very long time, Making small bigger, More

Chamber music revival
Classical and rock ‘n roll music suffer the same identity crisis.
Quartet for a very long time
Any opportunity to see Maurice Ravel’s String Quartet in F Major performed by musicians of this caliber should always be taken.
Making small bigger
Chamber music originated in the 17th and 18th centuries for nobles and aristocrats, written by personal house composers.
Expressions of war
One of the best string quartets in the world will be within a D-string's distance from Portland, come Monday night.
Beyond tradition
On December 6 the University of Southern Maine Composers' Showcase will offer selections from new composers for eclectic ensembles, and on December 8 the Decompression Chamber Music Ensemble will offer an interactive concert pairing Robert Schumann with Philip Glass.
Phenomenal!
Living for a century is still a milestone; for a great and still-productive artist to do so is virtually unheard of.
Lift every voice!
Opera is the big word for 2009.
Like a fine wine
To celebrate the group's 40th anniversary, the Portland String Quartet will have a good time playing some favorites, but also will push themselves with some of the most difficult works they perform. They'll have help from renowned pianist Laura Kargul, who will join in for one of the three program selections.
String vacation
With the Portland Symphony's elimination of its popular, but debt-inducing, Independence Pops concert series, Portlanders will have to travel a little farther to satisfy their classical-music appetites this summer. But it will be well worth the mileage.
The Big Hurt: Strung Out
A friend of mine is getting married soon, and she's been looking around for some classy wedding music.
Wanting more
After its triumphant traversal of the complete Béla Bartók string quartets at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Borromeo Quartet was back for a free 20th- and 21st-century program at Jordan Hall, leading off with an accomplished recent piece by the 24-year-old Egyptian composer Mohammed Fairuz, Lamentation and Satire.
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Topics: Classical , Entertainment, Music, Johannes Brahms, More

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