Cycle
The sound of the Empire

Quatuors brillants

Concert
While the history of the string quartet was written across the Rhine with a concern for the homogeneity of the different parts, France stood out with its quatuors brillants, which showcased the first violin, treated as a soloist accompanied by a string trio. Heir to the symphonie concertante, it perfectly embodied the early nineteenth-century preference for ephemeral music tailored to virtuosos. However, when one looks at either Baillot – a tireless champion of Haydn and Beethoven in Paris – or the young Hérold – who had listened to the Viennese composers – or the surprising Jadin, this distinction between two national schools seems to be of little value. Beyond preconceived ideas, a different history of the string quartet was taking shape in France.

Dates

Fri 12 November 2021
19.30
Palazzetto Bru Zane, Venice

Performers

QUATUOR ELMIRE

Programme

String quartets by BAILLOT, HÉROLD, JADIN