The Escher String Quartet is named after Dutch graphic artist M. C. Escher, inspired by his method of individual components working together to form a whole.
Performer Biography
The Escher String Quartet, championed by the Emerson String Quartet, was a BBC New Generation Artist from 2010-2012 and is an Artist of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
Composition History
Mendelssohn's Quartet in A minor, Op. 13, his first 'official' string quartet, shows a special interest in Beethoven's late quartets, particularly Op. 132, at a time when these works were often dismissed.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Mendelssohn aimed for a "secret" relationship between movements in his string quartets, where the entire existence of a piece's secret could be recognized from the very beginning.
Composer Biography
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, a prodigy in almost every musical genre, began composing string quartets relatively early in his short career, producing seven complete examples.
Compositional Technique
The 'secret' of Mendelssohn's A minor Quartet revolves around his earlier song "Frage" (Question), Op. 9 No. 1, which serves as both the starting point and goal of the musical events.
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Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: String Quartets Nos. 3 & 5, Andante & Scherzo, Op. 81
Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Complete Chamber Music for Strings, Vol. 1
