programme notes

 
 

23rd February 2025 - Braidwood

2nd March 2025 - Sydney Opera House

phoenix collective Quartet

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)

String Quartet no 4 in C major K 157 (1772)

Allegro

Andante

Presto

The teenage Mozart and his father Leopold travelled to Italy three times, with Mozart commissioned to compose a new opera on each occasion. In 1772 they went to Milan so that Mozart could write the opera Lucio Silla. Perhaps fortunately for posterity, the production was plagued with scheduling problems, which meant that the composer had to wait for the delivery of new libretti among other things. The young Mozart spent at least some of this time composing in other genres, and the six so-called ‘Milanese’ string quartets came out of this sojourn.

Like all of the ‘Milanese’ quartets, the Quartet no 4 has only three movements. These quartets were written before Mozart had had the chance to study the quartets of his mentor Haydn in depth, and the simplicity of form in many ways reflects this. The first movement opens with a joyous theme in the violins, which is then repeated at higher volume. The key of C major was associated with celebration in the classical era, as a leftover from the ideas elucidated in the Doctrine of the Affections. However, C minor, the slow movement’s key, was generally thought to be sweet but sad. Not surprisingly, this movement has a plaintive, operatic feel, with the melodic material being passed from one instrument to the other. The final movement returns to C major, with rapid changes of texture and unexpected jagged rhythms in the first violin bringing the quartet to a jocular, good-natured close. 

Emma Greenhill (1995–)

‘What we cannot say with words’ (2023–2025)

Mirage

Dust to Dust

Fool’s Gold

Mad World

Emma Greenhill is an award-winning Australian composer, whose work encompasses orchestral and chamber music, film scores and arrangements for popular artists. This work was commissioned by Phoenix Collective, and workshopped in Greenhill’s studio in the Blue Mountains. Initially a two-movement work, the third and fourth movements were added in 2025. The composer writes: 

‘In an era marked by turmoil, uncertainty, and profound human experience, What We Cannot Say with Words serves as a musical commentary on the emotions and thoughts surrounding contemporary global events. This composition explores the delicate balance between hope, despair and humour, presenting a narrative that encapsulates the complexity of our shared human condition. Each movement of What We Cannot Say with Words is a short musical story in response to major world events over the last two years. They weave a tapestry of human experience, reflecting our collective struggles, aspirations, and the often-unarticulated feelings that accompany them. This piece invites listeners to engage with the music not only as an auditory experience but also as a profound commentary on the world we inhabit, encouraging reflection on what remains unspoken in our lives.’

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975)

String Quartet no 3 in F major op 73 (1946)

Allegretto

Moderato con moto

Allegro non troppo

Adagio (attacca)

Moderato

The String Quartet no 3 was one of Shostakovich’s favourites among his own works. Writing in 1946, after the end of the Second World War, Shostakovich may have felt some trepidation, as he had recently been censured by the authorities for his Symphony no 9. It could have been this concern which led him to retract the titles originally given each movement after the premiere:

  1. Blithe ignorance of the future cataclysm

  2. Rumblings of unrest and anticipation

  3. Forces of war unleashed

  4. In memory of the dead

  5. The eternal question: why? and for what?

With this knowledge, it is hard not to see the work as a programmatic reflection of Shostakovich’s view and experience of the recently ended war. In the midst of powerful. dramatic writing, there is also characteristic Shostakovich parody, and his usual mordant sarcasm. The lament in memory of the dead provides a powerful centrepiece to the work, with the final movement an ambiguous question fading to nothing.

Giovanni Sollima (1962–present) 

Sonnets et Rondeaux (2007)

Born into a family of musicians, Giovanni Sollima studied cello with Giovanni Parriera and Antonia Janigro and composition with his father Eliodoro Sollima and Milko Kelemen. His career has encompassed both high-level cello performance with luminaries such as Claudio Abbado and Martha Agerich, and composition for both the concert hall and the cinema.

Sollima’s compositional style borrows from popular culture, folk music and classical traditions. Sonnets et Rondeaux is a suite of six movements in a slow/fast format, with melodic references to medieval music, Celtic folk styles and a nod to Middle Eastern modes. Sollima’s interest in extended string techniques manifests in the use of pizzicato, glissando effects, harmonics and sul ponticello passages. Each tranquil sonnet is followed by a blazingly fast rondeau, with the final movement whirling to a breathless close.

Musicians, Phoenix Collective Quartet:

Violin 1 & Artistic Director - Dan Russell

Violin 2 - Pip Thompson

Viola - Ella Brinch

Cello - Andrew Wilson