Aloofness, sincerety, montage: Esposito Quartet plays Crane and Shaw

Laurence Crane

Caroline Shaw and the Esposito Quartet

By Lawrence Dunn, 19 June 2023

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“like Beethoven rewritten by Satie”

Reviewed at The Spirit Store, Dundalk on 17 June 2023

Crane, String Quartet no. 2 (World premiere)

Shaw, The Evergreen

Esposito Quartet

Caroline Shaw, Vocals

Sō Percussion goes placidly pop

Kurt Gottschalk, 4th February

If Sō Percussion isn’t precisely a pop band, they’ve certainly learned how to please a crowd, even while, at times, challenging expectations.

****1

Eric Lu brings scintillating Chopin to Singapore

Chang Tou Liang, 1st May

A world premiere by Wang Chenwei, familiar Chopin and a rare outing for Bartók’s Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta make for satisfying fare in Jahcun Wong’s Singapore Symphony programme.

****1

Yuja Wang with the Mahler CO: between lyricism and volatility

Edward Sava-Segal, 1st May

Yuja Wang and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra frame Chopin’s E minor concerto with two Prokofiev works, the First Symphony and Second Piano Concerto.

****1

Elim Chan and TSO reign supreme in Shostakovich’s Ninth

Michelle Assay, 30th April

After a Rachmaninov concerto that resembles a harangue, an uneven Toronto Symphony programme comes into focus with a sharply characterised Shostakovich Ninth.

***11

Requiem to a troubled genius at the Southbank’s Multitudes

Chris Garlick, 29th April

As part of the Southbank Centre's Multitudes festival, Unnatural Harmony: Sounds of Lee Alexander McQueen offers a multimedia tribute to the life and creative vision of the iconic British fashion designer.

****1

Steve Reich at 90 celebrated in Liverpool

Pwyll ap Sion, 29th April

A compelling concert at Liverpool’s Tung Auditorium offers a striking Josephine Stephenson’s UK premiere, dazzling John Adams and Steve Reich’s mesmerising Reich/Richter.

*****

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Lawrence Dunn

Lawrence is commissioning editor at Bachtrack. He is a composer, improviser, pianist and writer. He has taught at Cambridge, Huddersfield and Sheffield universities. He has written music for, among others the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Modern, Slagwerk Den Haag, Philip Thomas, Juliet Fraser, Ilya Gringolts, Plus-Minus, Exaudi, Apartment House and Explore Ensemble.

Aloofness, sincerety and montage: Esposito Quartet plays Laurence Crane and Caroline Shaw