Concert by the Brodsky String Quartet and pianist Martin Roscoe centred on Elgar's Piano Quintet in A minor, with works by Purcell, MacMillan and Britten.
The Brodsky String Quartet and pianist Martin Roscoe are at the Playhouse on Saturday 7 November, as part of the Music in the Round series. The afternoon centres on Elgar's Piano Quintet in A minor Op.84, one of his last large-scale works. It had its first private performance on 7 March 1919 at Severn House, Elgar's London home, with George Bernard Shaw in the audience.
It's described as an undisputed masterpiece, a tender yet muscular work of epic emotions. The emotional core starts with a ravishing viola melody, and the final movement builds a stirring chorale before a thrilling, thundering conclusion. It's a big piece of music, and it takes up a good chunk of the afternoon.
The programme doesn't stop there. The concert also takes in works by Henry Purcell, James MacMillan and Benjamin Britten, including Britten's String Quartet No.3, his last chamber work, completed in November 1975. Between the Elgar and the Britten, you've got two composers working right up to the end of their lives, so there's a fair bit of ground to cover in one sitting.
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It's a matinee, starting at 2pm, and runs for around one hour and 50 minutes, including an interval. The Brodsky String Quartet and Martin Roscoe bring the whole thing together at the Playhouse in Sheffield.
