Lir Quartet perform Janáček, Dvořák and Boydell

Brian Boydell was a huge figure in Irish music throughout the second half of the twentieth century, a prolific broadcaster, writer, performer and composer as well as Professor of Music at Trinity for more than twenty years. His fine second string quartet is in two movements, the first nostalgic, the second full of restless vitality. It has been recorded by both the Vanbrugh Quartet and the Carducci Quartet

Janáček’s second string quartet Intimate Letters has become popular thanks to its extraordinarily descriptive and expressive musical language. It was famously inspired by the composer’s long and spiritual friendship with Kamila Stösslová, a married woman 38 years his junior with whom he exchanged more than 700 letters during the course of their relationship. Here is the Vanbrugh Quartet’s 1994 recording.

Dvořák’s gorgeous A flat major quartet has everything you could ask for... an epic first movement, a playful scherzo complete with a magically contrasted trio section, a beautifully tender slow movement and a finale which grows from a mysterious opening into high-spirited revelry. The Click here for the Vanbrugh Quartet’s 1991 recording (on spotify). Earsense.org also has fascinating background on this masterpiece.

You may also like the following events from West Cork Music:

• This Friday, 24th October, 08:00 pm, Shostakovich Quartet Cycle in Bantry House in Bantry
• Next month, 21st November, 08:00 pm, David Murphy & The Ether Ensemble in Bantry
• This December, 5th December, 07:30 pm, Ficino Quartet in Bantry

Also check out other Performances in Bantry, Workshops in Bantry, Arts events in Bantry.