When he was barely 24 years old, Thomas Adès quickly stepped in the limelight internationally with his first opera Powder her face. A year earlier, in 1994, he composed his first work for string quartet, the suite Arcadiana. As the title indicates it is indeed an idyllic piece.
String quartet no. 2 by James MacMillan was created in 1998 with the title “Why is this night different?” This refers to the Seder evening at the start of Passover. In four consecutive parts, MacMillan incorporated motifs from his childhood in this quartet, from the rituals at home. The music is both highly expressive and full of contrast.
The Four Quarters from 2010 is the second string quartet by Thomas Adès. The work is a rendering of four moments in a day, Nightfalls, Morning Dew, Days (daytime) and The Twenty-Fifth Hour (that falls outside the time frame).
Thomas Adès (1971) – Arcadiana, opus 12 (1994)
- Venezia notturno, 2. Das klinget so herrlich, das klinget so schön, 3. Auf dem Wasser zu singen, 4. Et… (tango mortale), 5. L’Embarquement
Calder Quartet
CD: Signum Records
James MacMillan (1959) – String quartet no. 2 “Why is this night different” (1998)
Emperor Quartet
CD: BIS
Thomas Adès (1971) – The Four Quartets (2010)
- Nightfalls, 2. Morning Dew, 3. Days, 4. The Twenty-fifth Hour
Calder Quartet
CD: Signum Records
