The Gringolts Quartet’s festival contribution celebrates the centenary of György Kurtág’s birth with three of his masterfully composed works. These enter into dialogue with the final string quartet by one of his heroes, Franz Schubert.
Kurtág’s Officium breve in memoriam Andreae Szervánszky was composed in 1988–1989 in memory of his Hungarian friend Endre Szervánszky (1911–1977), whose String Serenade is alluded to towards the end. He composed Hommage à Jacob Obrecht in 2004–2005 to mark the 500th anniversary of the death of the Franco-Flemish composer, singer and cleric. Finally, Hommage à Mihály András, Op. 13 – Twelve Microludes was composed in 1977–1978 and is dedicated to his Budapest friend and colleague, the conductor and composer András Mihály (1917–1993).
Franz Schubert composed his String Quartet No. 15 in G major in 1826, two years before his death. Its harmonic boldness, heroic scope, melodic beauty and dramatic range of moods make it one of the most captivating of his chamber music works.