Some musical stories have texts, and soprano Dawn Upshaw joins the Brentano Quartet to sing them. “You couldn’t tear your eyes away from Upshaw’s presentation as she inhabited the moods and characters of these poetic texts,” wrote the Cincinnati Enquirer, “She was an involved storyteller, bringing meaning to each word of text.”

The Brentano Quartet sings with strings, and is named for Antonie Brentano, whom many scholars consider to be Beethoven’s “Immortal Beloved.” “These players could well be the best of the latest generation,” the Philadelphia Inquirer enthused; “Their level of individual technique was superb, while [the] musical dialog necessary for rich chamber music was evident from first to last.”

Program

Mozart — Quartet in C Major, K. 465, “Dissonant”
Schoenberg — Quartet No. 2 in F-sharp minor, with Soprano, Op. 10
Brahms — Quartet No. 1 in C minor, Op. 51, No. 1
Respighi — Il tramonto for Mezzo-soprano and Strings

Photo credits: Juergen Frank (Brentano Quartet); Brooke Irish (Dawn Upshaw)