The Chiaroscuro Quartet, formed in 2005, is an international ensemble consisting of violinists Alina Ibragimova (Russia) and Pablo Hernán Benedí (Spain), violist Emilie Hörnlund (Sweden), and cellist Claire Thirion (France).
Compositional Technique
The second movement of Schubert's 'Death and the Maiden' quartet is based on a chorale from his earlier song, 'Der Tod und das Mädchen,' which he composed at age 20.
Composition History
Schubert's String Quartet No. 14, 'Death and the Maiden,' was composed between 1824 and 1826, during which time he was suffering from syphilis.
Composer Biography
Franz Schubert, the composer, was intimately acquainted with death from a young age; nine of his siblings died in infancy, and his mother died in 1812.
Compositional Technique
The final movement of Schubert's 'Death and the Maiden' quartet is a tarantella, a dance whose rhythms were believed to rid the body of the poison from a tarantula bite.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Schubert's 'Death and the Maiden' quartet aims to translate the intensity of his own experience with mortality into music, compelling listeners to feel its terrifying presence.
Interpretation
The Chiaroscuro Quartet performs music of the Classical period on gut strings, contributing to their unique sound, described as 'a shock to the ears of the best kind' by The Observer.
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Schubert: "Death and the Maiden"; String Quartet D 353
