MSO: Shining Strings: The Art of the Quartet

The beauty and personality of this treasured family of instruments, led by MSO Concertmaster Dale Barltrop.

Program

Henry Purcell The Fairy Queen (selections)

Benjamin Britten Les Illuminations

Maurice Ravel – arr. Gail Aitken String Quartet in F, arranged for string orchestra

Due to a change in the repertoire for this program, Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony and Vasks’ Cantabile for Strings will no longer be performed.

About the concert

Selections from Purcell’s The Fairy Queen, a semi-opera based on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream open this charming program. Benjamin Britten, a giant of English composition, composed his song cycle Les Illuminations with text taken from a collection by French poet Arthur Rimbaud. Multi-musically-skilled MSO Double Bassist Stephen Newton performs this cycle as a tenor soloist. Ravel’s beloved String Quartet in F has been arranged for string orchestra by Queensland Symphony Orchestra violinist Gail Aitken. This playful piece of French impressionism is the musical equivalent of a Renoir or Monet – shimmering brightness, refreshing spontaneity, and joyful musical colour – making this one of the most adored works in the classical repertoire.