Brahms' Third Piano Quartet (expired event)

MSO violist Gabrielle Halloran curates this exquisite program of chamber works – two written by composers early in their careers, contrasted with a mature work from Brahms.

• Britten composed his Phantasy Quartet at just 18 years old, while studying at the Royal College of Music. Written in a symmetrical structure like an arch, this work begins in silence and eventually returns to it.

• Poulenc's Trio – also composed as a young man – was completed in a hotel in Cannes. There he bumped into none other than Igor Stravinsky, who gave him some guidance. The Neo-classical style of this exquisite music reflects Stravinsky's influence, alongside touches of Mozart.

• In contrast, Brahms' Piano Quartet No.3 is a more serious affair, befitting the middle-aged composer experiencing anguish in his personal life. Lyrical, passionate and defiant, the "Werther" Quartet references Goethe’s story about a young man in a state of unrequited love.

Duration: approx. 70 minutes, no interval