Miró Quartet
     Daniel Ching, violin
     William Fedkenheuer, violin
     John Largess, viola
     Joshua Gindele, cello 

Haydn: Quartet No. 50 in B-flat Major, Op. 64, No. 3
George Walker: Lyric for Strings
Kevin Puts: Home for String Quartet
Brahms: String Quartet No. 1 in C minor, Op. 51 

Two superlative pieces from the traditional string quartet repertoire by Haydn and Brahms bookend two exquisite examples of the medium by contemporary Pulitzer Prize-winning American composers.  

Haydn’s String Quartet No. 50 in B-flat Major brings a combination of his extraverted brilliance, while also demonstrating the innovative curiosity which is hallmark for this period of his compositional career. Lyric for Strings by African-American composer George Walker (1922-2018) was originally drawn from his first String Quartet. In its new form, it became one of Walker’s most popular works. Rooted firmly in the classical tradition, its melodies are both haunting and hopeful, reflective of its original name, Lament.  Meanwhile, Home was written especially for the Miró Quartet and is a musical representation of the journey of refugees, from the walking pace to the trials endured. The program culminates with Brahms’ highly unified and harmonically sophisticated String Quartet in C minor, contrasting the dramatic and intimate in a cohesive masterwork.  

The Miró Quartet’s approach is “animated and imaginative, often keenly driven though nearly always dispatched with a light touch.” (Gramophone) making this recital not only deeply satisfying, but also a compelling mini-history of the chamber music medium.

Thank you to our Walter Hall venue sponsor, Sheffield Moving and Storage.