St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church, Galway
Tuesday 3 February 2025, 1:10pm
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Admission to this event is FREE MusicConnects welcomes a suggested donation of €5-€10 per person |
Today’s Performers:
ConTempo Quartet
Bogdan Sofei violin I │ Ingrid Nicola violin II
Andreea Banciu viola │ Adrian Mantu cello
Formed in 1995 in Bucharest, ConTempo Quartet is recognised as one of the most exciting and vibrant chamber ensembles performing today. ConTempo Quartet was chosen as MusicConnects’ Ensemble in Residence in 2003 and continues to captivate audiences throughout Galway city and county with its repertoire of classical, contemporary, folk and traditional music. In June 2016, the members were conferred with Honorary Doctorates in Music by University of Galway in recognition of their role in promoting music and education in the West of Ireland.
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We begin our Threads season, exploring connections between composers across the ages, with one of the most compelling relationships in classical music. Johannes Brahms’s music was profoundly shaped by his friendship with Robert and Clara Schumann, a bond that influenced him for over thirty years. Robert was Brahms’s early mentor and champion, while Clara became his most trusted listener, advisor and confidante. Both figures are woven through Brahms’s string quartets, which stand as a testament to friendship, influence, and enduring love.
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String Quartet no. 3, Op. 41 | Composed in 1842
Robert Schumann wrote his three string quartets as part of a remarkable burst of creativity in 1842, often described as his ‘year of chamber music’. Two years previously, he and Clara had finally married after many years of personal and legal struggle with Clara’s father who did not approve of the match. Clara, an incredibly talented pianist and composer in her own right, was Robert’s muse, artistic collaborator and most perceptive critic. The first movement, which we will hear today, is deeply lyrical and intimate with many scholars hearing Schumann’s devotion for Clara in the work. Clara herself said that Robert’s set of three string quartets revealed his “most tender and beautiful side.” It was more than a decade after this work was composed when Brahms was welcomed into Clara and Robert’s world, and yet the lyricism and emotional depth of Robert’s quartets left a lasting impression of Brahms’ own approach to quartet writing.
String Quartet no 1, Op 51 | Composed in 1873
Johannes Brahms took the string quartet very seriously and struggled with it more than any other form. He felt the weight of those who had gone before, most particularly Beethoven and Schumann, and destroyed more than a dozen attempts before allowing anything to be published. He was finally satisfied with his String Quartet No. 1 and described it to Clara as “one of my finest works… You have never before had such a beautiful work from me.” The Romanze is unusually exposed and vulnerable, and many scholars believe the movement speaks to Clara.
6 Lieder, Op 13| Composed 1842-1844
Selections arranged for String Quartet by Stephen Levintow* / Karen Ouzounian†
III. Liebeszauber*
Though often remembered primarily as her husband’s muse, and though her relationship with Brahms has received much speculation over the years, we feature Clara Schumann as the remarkable composer she was, particularly skilled in the Lieder genre (German Art songs). While she never wrote for the string quartet, these arrangements of some of her most beloved lieder display her compositional prowess and her sensitive phrasing that can be heard in many of Brahms’ works. Brahms greatly admired her musicianship and valued her feedback on his work above all else.
String Quartet no 2, Op 51| Composed in 1875
Though included in the same opus as his no.1, Brahms’ second quartet is more laid back than its predecessor. Indeed, Brahms himself described the work as “lyrical and relaxed”. The Andante movement is warm and song-like and reminiscent of Robert Schumann’s slow movements and the world of Lieder, a genre that was associated with both Clara and Robert.
String Quartet no 3, Op 67| Composed in 1876
III. Agitato
By the time Brahms wrote his third string quartet, he felt more confident in his writing for the form. It is the most relaxed of his three quartets, even playful and conversational in places. While the Agitato movement features a Schumann-esque lyricism, it also has a nervous energy manifesting as musical ideas being passed from one instrument to another. Clara delighted in the third movement saying it was “too fascinating for words, with its delightful, mocking conclusion”.
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