Czech it out!

Two composers linked by nationality and geography, composing in two very different eras:

Of this 1876 autobiographical String Quartet, Smetana wrote: “The first movement depicts my youthful leanings toward art, the Romantic atmosphere, the inexpressible yearning for something I could neither express nor define, and also a kind of warning of my future misfortune . . . “

Composing in the emerging jazz age, in 1919 Schulhoff wrote: “Music should first and foremost produce physical pleasures, yes, even ecstasies. Music is never philosophy, it arises from an ecstatic condition, finding its expression through rhythmical movement”.

Approx. 65 Minutes with no Intermission

It’s no surprise that most musicians reply “chamber music!” when asked about their favourite music to play. Written for a living room “chamber” rather than a concert hall, it’s music written for a cozy gathering of friends and neighbours that are close enough to hear the softest whisper. Chamber music requires each player to shrug off convention, express their unique voice and make music spontaneously, responding to each other and to the audience.