Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
"Lo how a rose e'r blooming" Chorale Prelude Op. 122, arranged for string quartet by Nicholas Kitchen

Mohommed Fairouz (b. 1985)
Chorale Fantasy for string quartet (written for the Borromeo Quartet in 2010)

Antonín Dvo?ák (1841-1904)
String Quartet in F Major, Op. 96, the "American Quartet" (1893)
Allegro, ma non troppo
Lento
Molto vivace
Vivace, ma non troppo

Intermission

Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
String Quartet in d minor D. 810 "Death and the Maiden" (1824)
Allegro
Andante con moto
Scherzo: Allegro molto
Presto; Prestissimo

This concert will include a discussion of old techniques of string playing and also the projection of two movements from Schubert's autograph manuscript to Death and the Maiden which will highlight when some of Schubert's most audacious ideas emerged as he notated this work.

We will start todays concert with one of the pieces Brahms wrote at the very end of his like. It is an organ chorale-prelude similar to those written by Bach. It takes the hymn "Lo, how a rose e'er blooming" and gently ornaments it with rich chromatic alterations. It is beautiful on the pipe organ but in this adaptation for string quartet by Borromeo Quartet first violinist Nicholas Kitchen, the gentle interplay of the voices can be even more expressively brought to life.

This piece will be followed by another Chorale Prelude, but one written in 2010 for the Borromeo Quartet by the exciting young composer Mohammed Fairouz. Mohammed will be able to attend this concert and will give a brief introduction to his work. Mohammed uses elements of Bach Chorale Preludes in his work but it also incorporates expressive elements of middle eastern singing.

The next two works on the program will be Dvorak "American" Quartet in F, Op. 96 and Schubert's Quartet in d, D. 810 "Death and the Maiden". These pieces are both favorites in the string quartet repertoire but in this performance the Borromeo will offer alternative perspectives on each of the works.

With the Dvorak, the Borromeo will play short excerpts of the 1923 performance of the Op. 96 quartet by the Bohemian Quartet. These are musicians who performed in Prague in a musical environment still very much in touch with Dvorak. Hearing their playing we are taken to a startlingly different musical world. The Borromeo will share a few thoughts on how the Bohemian Quartet's truly different style can give them insights into new (old, actually!) possibilities of how to realize the score.

With the Schubert, the Borromeo will reach into the past in a different way. For the first two movements of this quartet the audience will get to follow along with Schubert's manuscript of this most dramatic of string quartets. The quartet will point out for the audience some of the startling evidence of the moments when certain of Schubert's most audacious ideas emerged as he notated this work.