2023-08-17 02:00:00
The string quartet, made up of the violinists Anne-Marie North and Antonio Cárdenas, the viola player Rocío Gómez and the cellist John Stokes, offers a concert today in San Telmo with works by the Spanish composer Tomás Bretón, whom they remember on the centenary of his death, and the German Johannes Brahms.
– This afternoon they offer ‘Quartet No. 2’, called ‘Dramático’.
– That’s how it is. In it Bretón expands harmoniously, texturally and expressively and reaches a monumentality that could remind us of the most romantic and heroic Beethoven, as for example at the beginning of the work. In the third of his quartets, although in his catalog it appears as No. 2, it is enough to listen to the first bars to verify his more ‘dramatic’ character. It is a work charged with romanticism, of great musical solidity, with moments of great beauty and intensity and which constitutes one of the most outstanding creations of the maestro from Salamanca. It is of great technical and harmonic difficulty and may be one of the reasons why it is not programmed more frequently.
– One hundred years have passed since the death of Tomás Bretón. Do you think there is much left to discover about this composer?
– Yes, and not only lyrical repertoire. Despite the recognition that Bretón achieved in Madrid and Barcelona, especially after his premiere of ‘Los amantes de Teruel’ in 1889, he had to deal with the Italian lyrical tradition. It is not only necessary to put his music back on the music stands, but to make sound recordings of his works so that they do not fall into oblivion. In it we find ourselves. We have recorded two quartets with the Naxos label and the string and piano quintet with the March Foundation.
Quartet Nº2
«The composer reaches a monumentality that could remind us of the most romantic and heroic Beethoven»
– They will complete their performance with the ‘Quartet in A minor, op. 51, no. 2’ by Brahms. Do you consider that it forms a good tandem with the work of Bretón?
– We think they fit very well. Bretón’s quartet is tinged with Beethovenian romanticism, but the work also takes us into the sound of Brahms with long and very lyrical phrases. They also share the use of complex rhythm, as well as the fact that neither composer composed much music for the quartet – Breton wrote four and Brahms three. Finally, for both of them they were mature works in which they used traditional forms, developing them with harmonic and rhythmic complexity, while introducing fluid and lyrical melodies.
today’s program
“We think the Breton and Brahms pieces fit together very well. For both of them they were works of maturity»
– What are, in your opinion, the keys to a good interpretation of Brahms’ chamber music?
– Of course, starting from the study and analysis of the score, as well as its historical and stylistic context, to later seek the closest approximation to the particular indications of the author. And from this initial approach we also seek to combine all this information with the impact that the work presents to the quartet as a group, paying attention to its sound, movement, textures, colors and emotions to create an interpretation that is respectful of its creator, but also honest with our particular vision. For us, Brahms’ music is full of intensity and romantic drama, yes, but it also maintains forms, structures and resources that are still very attached to previous classicism. An important challenge is to build a sound that serves as a vehicle for the long phrases so common in Brahms.
– They have been working as a quartet for two decades. What balance do you make of these years?
– The balance is very good and the truth is that it does not seem that much time has passed. Perhaps we are more aware of it when we see photos of past concerts! We always look ahead, there are always new and attractive projects, trips, recordings… The important thing is not to have lost the enthusiasm to make music together and to continue growing as a group.
#lot #Breton #repertoire #discover