Old is New: Quatuor Mosaïques Reimagine Haydn, Mendelssohn and Schubert

By Amanda Keil, 15 April 2012

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Reviewed at The 92nd Street Y: Kaufmann Concert Hall, New York City on 11 April 2012

Haydn, String Quartet no. 63 in B flat major "Sunrise," Op.76 no.4, Hob III:78

Mendelssohn, String Quartet no. 2 in A minor, Op.13

Schubert, String Quartet no. 13 "Rosamunde" in A minor, D.804

Quatuor Mosaïques

Quatuor Mosaïques: Gut instinct

Zwölftöner, 12th January

String quartets don’t come much more ‘period’ than the Quatuor Mosaïques, even if their ideas of historical authenticity are more flexible than the ensemble which brought them together (Nikolaus Harnoncourt’s Concentus Musicus Wien).

***11

Quatour Mosaïques explores neglected repertoire

Nahoko Gotoh, 3rd April

Most string quartets seldom step outside the established canon of the classical Viennese repertoire (Haydn to Schubert), some Schumann, Brahms and Dvorak, some 20th century French repertoire, Bartok and Shostakovich. Not so the Quatuor Mosaïques.

An end-of-term Mahler 6 from the Hallé in Manchester

Rohan Shotton, 28th May

Kahchun Wong conducts The Hallé in Mahler's epic Sixth Symphony, although directorial idiosyncrasies sometimes get in the way of the music.

***11

Mallwitz and the Konzerthausorchester Berlin conquer Mahler's Fifth

Mengguang Huang, 27th May

At the Elbphilharmonie, Joana Mallwitz treats Mahler's Fifth as an argument to be won, and she knows exactly how it will end.

****1

Václav Luks and the OAE deliver operatic scale in Haydn's Creation

Nick Boston, 27th May

The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment under Václav Luks are joined by their own choir and strong soloists for a fresh and colourful performance of Haydn's Die Schöpfung.

****1

Lost for words: Asmik Grigorian excels at Wigmore Hall

Roy Westbrook, 26th May

A first half of vocalises gives way to all Strauss after the interval as the Lithuanian superstar soprano helps Wigmore Hall celebrate its 125th anniversary.

****1

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Amanda Keil

Amanda Keil is a native New Yorker who sings, teaches, writes about music and fundraises for the arts. Her broad musical interests have led her to perform music from ancient to modern times, and she is the founder of Musica Nuova, which stages Baroque songs in modern settings. She blogs at thousandfoldecho.