Juilliard String Quartet
String quartets by Dvořák, Davis and Schubert
American chamber music
The Juilliard String Quartet has been one of the world’s most influential string quartets for more than 75 years now. Over 100 CD recordings and four Grammy awards bear impressive witness to the achievement of the ensemble, which was founded in 1946. The Boston Globe felt motivated ten years ago to declare the Juilliard String Quartet »the most important American string quartet of all time«.
So it’s apt that the four musicians should bring along two works from across the pond for their Elbphilharmonie debut. Their recital opens with a real classic: Dvořák’s »American String Quartet«. In the summer of 1883, the Czech composer visited the quiet town of Spillville, 350 km west of Chicago, where he put his impressions of the vast expanses of the New World to paper. Fascinated by African American gospel music, he produced a score in the space of only two weeks that combines what were new sounds for his ears with the dance music of his native Bohemia.
As quartet in residence at the prestigious Juilliard School in New York, the Juilliard String Quartet is particularly keen to support top young artists. One of today’s most promising young American composers is Tyson J. Davis (b. 2000). He wrote his Second String Quartet »Amorphous Figures«, which was premiered in New York in April 2023, especially for the Juilliard String Quartet.
After the interval there is another classic string quartet on the programme: Schubert’s last string quartet in the key of G major, in which he demonstrated the entirety of his experience as a composer.
Performers
Juilliard String Quartet
Areta Zhulla violin
Ronald Copes violin
Molly Carr viola
Astrid Schween violoncello
Programme
Antonín Dvořák
String Quartet No. 12 in F major, Op. 96 »American«
Tyson Gholston Davis
String Quartet No. 2 »Amorphous Figures«
– Interval –
Franz Schubert
String Quartet in G major, D 887
Encore:
Ludwig van Beethoven
Presto
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