Maxwell Quartet plays Mendelssohn and Haydn

'Work songs'

The young Maxwell Quartet was praised by Gramophone for their 'fresh, unaffected playing, coupled with technical brilliance and authentic Haydnesque joie de vivre'. The New York Times was impressed by their charisma and the adventure they bring to their programs. This will be no different at this concert: in addition to Haydn and Mendelssohn, the Scots will bring their own arrangements of traditional 'labor songs' from their home country.

Mendelssohn and Haydn

The 6 string quartets that Haydn published as opus 20 are affectionately called the 'Sun Quartets'. This is due to the sun printed on the cover page, but also due to the sunny atmosphere of the quartets. The fifth of these 6 quartets is less sunny and more emotionally intense. The quartet is in a minor key but is anything but sad, rather it is music for the silence of a sunrise. Ideal music for a Sunday morning Concert. Mendelssohn's Sixth String Quartet is a different story: it is a tribute to his recently deceased sister Fanny. That doesn't mean it's only sad, he also brings back beautiful memories of his favorite sister.