UKC

The last concert in this season’s Kendal Midday Concert Club’s series was a complete sell out. Not sure how many the Town Hall can hold, but must be several hundred. Not altogether surprising as it was the world famous Brodsky Quartet. They formed in the early 1970s and two players of the original four are still playing. They have recently adopted Krysia Osostowicz as first violin. While it is inviduous to pick out one player from what is an organic whole,  I must confess to being completely bowled over by her playing.

The highlight of the concert was a performance of Debussy’s string quartet with which I am very familiar, but the Brodsky brought an interpretation like nothing I have ever heard before. The slow 3rd movement was overwhelmingly moving, while the more lively sections were played with magical verve. We are just so lucky to have such astonishing performers here in a small market town

They regularly play at Nailsworth music festival, a small town close to where I live.
Always thrilling - the benefits of 50-plus years of experience, hard work and talent

Saw them do Shostachovich's 8th Quartet in Birmingham once. The tears were rolling down my cheeks. 

If that made you cry you are not alone. I found this quote on the Wikipedia page for the quartet: 

"The Borodin Quartet played this work to the composer at his Moscow home, hoping for his criticisms. But Shostakovich, overwhelmed by this beautiful realisation of his most personal feelings, buried his head in his hands and wept. When they had finished playing, the four musicians quietly packed up their instruments and stole out of the room." 

As you probably know the second movement is derived from the Dance of Death movement of the second Piano Trio, which is believed, I think, to represent the dance Jewish concentration camp prisoners were made to do on the  edge of their mass grave shortly before being shot.

The ever-fascinating life story of Shostakovich, so intimately related to his music, is well described in this article:

https://robertgreenbergmusic.com/the-string-quartet-in-time-of-war-dmitri-s....