Detailed Information - February 11 Colloquium

The string quartet has a long tradition, beginning with Haydn.  It is Haydn who is responsible for creating the string quartet into the ensemble as we now understand it, and it was Haydn who saw the possibilities of interrelating the part writing, rather than simply showcasing one instrument, accompanied by the other parts.  Building on the tradition inherited from the Classical Period, the quartet reached one of its highest culminations during the Romantic Era, in the music of Brahms.  If we were to look further, we could trace this tradition all the way to the early- mid-20th century with the quartets of Bela Bartok.  (An interesting side note:  The Opus 20 date from 1772, when Haydn was 40 years old;  Brahms was 42 when he wrote the Opus 67!)

 

The two short pieces are a modern commentary on the elder tradition:  One a transition piece, taking an old tune and putting it in a new context (Kitzis) and the other (Vayo) leaving the past entirely behind and incorporating modern influences, such as rock rhythms and the use of guitar picks, into the traditional string quartet format.

 

Often, it seems that "tradition" has been reduced to mean a mere a set of rules, rigidly adhered to, whether they are relevant to a given situation or not. How much better to see it as a body of knowledge that serves as a springboard for inspiring the next generation!