programme notes

phoenix collective Quartet

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) 

String Quartet no 11 in F minor op 95 ‘Serioso’ (1810)

Allegro con brio

Allegretto ma non troppo – attacca subito:

Allegro assai vivace ma serioso – Più allegro

Larghetto espressivo – Allegretto agitato – Allegro

The String Quartet no 11 was composed in 1810, during a period of intense emotional upheaval for Beethoven – not only was he recovering from a failed love affair, he was also struggling to come to terms with his worsening deafness and his precarious financial state. Subtitled ‘Serioso’, the quartet is expressive of Beethoven’s angst and references the sturm und drang style which would have been a familiar language of the time. During the quartet’s composition, Beethoven wrote to a friend: “If I had not read somewhere that no one should quit life voluntarily while he could still do something worthwhile, I would have been dead long ago and certainly by my own hand. Oh, life is so beautiful, but for me it is poisoned forever.”

The first movement opens with a violent unison figure, which gives way to jagged octave leaps in the first violin. Although there are some moments of repose during the movement, the overall sense of unease is reinforced by frequent outbursts of furious passage work. Unusually, the second movement is not an Andante, but instead a faster Allegretto, in which Beethoven explores fugal writing using the somewhat mournful second subject.

The third movement introduces a restless dotted figure, which is interspersed with an almost chorale-like legato subject in the lower voices. An expressive introduction opens the final movement, leading to a plaintive, unsettled allegro melody. Given the nature of the work thus far, it might be expected that the work would conclude with material of a similar troubled emotional character. Instead, Beethoven finishes the movement with an abrupt shift to an effervescent coda in a major key, prompting one commentator to observe that “no bottle of champagne was ever uncorked at a better time.”

Peteris Vasks (1946–)

String Quartet no 4 (1999)

Elegy

Toccata I

Choral

Toccata II

Meditation

Commissioned by the Kronos Quartet, the Quartet no 4 represents a break from Latvian composer Vasks’s typical style of long, slow harmonic arcs. While more legato, still material is included in the fourth quartet, Vasks also references Shostakovich in the two Toccata movements, with spiky, dissonant rhythmic passagework and staccato interjections. 

The first movement, Elegy, and the third movement, Choral, are masterpieces of textural, harmonic writing, with slow phrases and an almost vocal feel. The final movement, Meditation, features the first violin, which soars above the other instruments in a prayer-like manner. Appropriately, the music fades and disappears at the end, with a morendo marking from the composer.

About the work, Vasks writes: “When I think about contemporary life, it's impossible not to realize that we are balanced on the edge of time's end. It's frighteningly close. But is there any point to composing a piece that only mirrors our being one step away from extinction? To my mind, every honest composer searches for a way out of his time's crises. Towards affirmation, towards faith. He shows how humanity can overcome this passion for self-annihilation that flares up in a column of black smoke from time to time. And if I can find this way out, a reason for hope, the outline of a perspective, then I offer it as my model.”

Daft Punk (1993–)

I Feel It Coming

Something About Us

Lose Yourself to Dance

Formed in Paris in 1993, Daft Punk went on to be one of the most influential bands in dance music history. Indie musicians Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter combined drum machines and synthesisers in a style which referenced disco, funk and pop music. Known for their quirky costuming and reclusive habits, Bangalter and Homem-Christo adopted robot-style helmets, suits and gloves in order to maintain their anonymity.

Early hits include Da Funk, which was followed by One More Time and Digital Love. The hugely popular Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger inspired Japanese animator Leiji Matsumoto to create the film Interstella 5555, in collaboration with the band. A strong affinity with film as a medium led Bangalter and Homem-Christo subsequently to direct a science fiction film, Electroma, and they also provided the score for the 2010 movie Tron: Legacy. 

The members of Daft Punk have worked in a production capacity and in collaborations with popular artists such as Kanye West and the Weeknd. The band officially split in 2021, having received, among others, six Grammy Awards and seven International Dance Music Awards.

Today’s program has been arranged specifically for string quartet, and uses a variety of extended techniques in the creation of Daft Punk’s unique musical aesthetic.

Musicians, Phoenix Collective Quartet:

Violin 1 & Artistic Director - Dan Russell

Violin 2 - Pip Thompson

Viola - Ella Brinch

Cello - Andrew Wilson