Smith Quartet
Old Royal Naval Chapel, Greenwich
We often think of the string quartet as a vehicle for abstract contemplation, but the ensemble – and most of its music – originated for dance accompaniment. The concluding concert of the second biennial Greenwich International String Quartet festival, given by the Smith Quartet, offered a rare opportunity to reflect on the continuing importance of dance to post-war string quartet writing.
In a densely packed programme of 10 pieces, ranging from Terry Riley and Michael Nyman to Gabriel Prokofiev and Elena Kats-Chernin, we were given committed performances and much food for thought, although a few of those thoughts were directed at the poor quality of some of the music.
Read the original review here
We often think of the string quartet as a vehicle for abstract contemplation, but the ensemble – and most of its music – originated for dance accompaniment. The concluding concert of the second biennial Greenwich International String Quartet festival, given by the Smith Quartet, offered a rare opportunity to reflect on the continuing importance of dance to post-war string quartet writing.
In a densely packed programme of 10 pieces, ranging from Terry Riley and Michael Nyman to Gabriel Prokofiev and Elena Kats-Chernin, we were given committed performances and much food for thought, although a few of those thoughts were directed at the poor quality of some of the music.
Read the original review here
