Musica Viva 2008

CONCERT 4

TAKACS QUARTET

'They are currently the greatest string quartet in the world.' THE GUARDIAN, LONDON

The Takács Quartet's connection with Musica Viva now spans three decades, with each tour garnering more acclaim than the one before. As our audiences have long suspected, this tour finds them hailed at last as 'the greatest string quartet in the world'.

The Quartet's programs have as their centrepieces two pre-eminent works of the repertoire. Schubert's majestic fifteenth quartet is joined by Janácek's Intimate Letters (which circles obsessively around the composer's unhealthy passion for his young, erstwhile mistress) and Richard Mills' tautly constructed romantic fantasies. In the second program, Beethoven's third 'Razumovsky' Quartet is balanced by the Classical elegance of late Haydn and a new work by acclaimed Scottish composer James McMillan, commissioned for the Takács Quartet.

Edward Dusinberre violin
Károly Schranz violin
Geraldine Walther viola
András Fejér cello

'The Takács Quartet evinces that intangible, ineffable quality that sets apart the greatest quartets in the world.' CARL VINE

CONCERT 5

EGGNER TRIO

'One marvelled at the three brothers' rare ability to reconcile the composer's melodic sweep with the minutest of detail.' THE NEW ZEALAND HERALD

The Eggner Trio's first Musica Viva tour was followed by acclaimed performances in the 'Rising Stars' concert hall circuit throughout Europe. These suave Austrian brothers, who combine individual virtuosity with impassioned ensemble playing, won many admirers on that tour and were immediately invited to return in 2008.

The piano trios by Shostakovich and Mendelssohn are each masterworks of the genre, and form the core of the two programs. Program One opens with Schumann's most famous trio, followed by Martin's little-known but infectiously melodic work based on Irish folksong. The second program includes the very first work Beethoven considered worth publishing and Debussy's early trio that demonstrates his great admiration for the Romantic masters.

Christoph Eggner piano
Georg Eggner violin
Florian Eggner cello

'At every turn the Eggner Trio surprises, delights, inspires.' CARL VINE

CONCERT 6

JERUSALEM QUARTET

'Musical electricity may be unfathomable, but one thing is for sure – the Jerusalem Quartet has it.' THE STRAD

In the third year of its ground-breaking residency with Musica Viva, the Jerusalem Quartet performs a powerful program featuring Richard Mills' new string quartet, commissioned especially for this tour by Musica Viva, an intense musical journey with a wild and virtuosic finale.

Dramatic overtones continue in Smetana's autobiographical work From My Life, which closes with a persistent high E signifying the ringing in the composer's ears that marked the sudden and catastrophic onset of deafness in 1874. Ravel's rhapsodic string quartet is redolent with striking tonal effects and youthful energy - hallmarks of the Jerusalem Quartet.

Alexander Pavlovsky violin
Sergei Bresler violin
Amichai Grosz viola
Kyril Zlotnikov cello
MUSICA VIVA QUARTET IN RESIDENCE 2006–09

'After every performance it is hard to imagine how the Jerusalem Quartet could get any better - yet they do.' CARL VINE

CONCERT 7

HESPERION XXI

'Nobody understands the art of setting early music in its historical context better than Jordi Savall.' THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, LONDON

Jordi Savall's Hesperion XXI has been at the forefront of period performance for more than thirty years. The group searches continuously for a dynamic synthesis between musical expression, stylistic and historical research and creative imagination. This scintillating reconstruction of the rich exuberance of music from other ages has breathed new life into current musical thought, and endlessly delights the group's countless followers around the globe.

The four acclaimed members of the remarkable Savall family, Jordi, Montserrat, Arianna and Ferran, form the core of the group's long-awaited return to Australia. The family's exceptional and distinctive voices combine with rich instrumental colours to make musical magic that transcends all expectations.

Montserrat Figueras singer
Arianna Savall singer, medieval   renaissance harp
Ferran Savall singer, theorbo and guitar
Jordi Savall lira de arco   viola de gamba, director
Driss El Maloumi oud   percussion
Begoña Olivade psalterium   singer
Pedro Estevan percussion

'Hesperion XXI does not just bring ancient music to life, they are a living embodiment of the music of our world.' CARL VINE

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