The string quartet is a cornerstone of the catalogs of composers who carry on the classical tradition. Two violins, a viola, and a cello—an instrumental configuration that demands great technical and stylistic refinement, leaving no room for frivolous effects that might distract the listener from what is essential. Even so, the Solistas da Metropolitana perform in this program two pieces from the repertoire that, in a way, invite us to venture beyond “pure music.” Beethoven’s String Quartet in F Major, dated 1799, is the first of the set of six published in Opus 18. It was also the first time the composer himself admitted to having succeeded in the genre, even though he had composed string quartets previously. The strength and expressive depth of the second movement stand out, which is believed to have been inspired by the climax of Shakespeare’s tragedy Romeo and Juliet. We then move on to the amateurish romanticism of Mikhail Glinka’s followers, represented here by a string quartet by Alexander Borodin. Written in 1881, the melody of the third movement stands out in this piece. It would later be incorporated into the Broadway musical Kismet, as early as 1953. It then became the famous song “And This Is My Beloved.”

Borodin & Beethoven
Solistas da Metropolitana

L. v. Beethoven String Quartet No. 1, Op. 18/1
A. Borodin String Quartet No. 2

Tolga Kulak, Anzhela Akopyan violins
Sérgio Sousa viola
Ana Cláudia Serrão cello