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.

Black American music finds a new voice at the Concertgebouw

Clare Varney, 18th June

Dutch premieres, new faces and new arrangements result in a concert quite unlike any other from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra under Antony Hermus.

****1

Apollonian radiance and women scorned: the Britten Sinfonia at Snape

Roy Westbrook, 18th June

Hell holds no fury like a woman scorned, and it was certainly so in Greek mythology, celebrated in this outstanding Aldeburgh Festival performance by the Britten Sinfonia and Helen Charlston.

*****

Improvisatory Gershwin from Ryan Wang with Chromatica Orchestra

Nick Boston, 17th June

Energetic yet atmospheric performances from Chromatica Orchestra, with Ingunn Korsgård Hagen providing firm yet spirited direction.

****1

A perfect landing with Harding and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra

Mengguang Huang, 17th June

Håkan Hardenberger joins the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Daniel Harding for a thrilling night concluding with a breathtaking, high-energy Beethoven Four.

****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.