Cuarteto Casals

In 2017, a critic for The Times (London) wrote, "The Cuarteto Casals' sound is so arresting that any scientist would be itching to put it under the microscope." Back by popular demand, the Spanish quartet returns for Duke Performances' virtual season for a multi-colored, emotional program.

The ensemble begins the evening with one of the 20th century's most gripping chamber pieces, Shostakovitch's mesmerizing String Quartet No. 8, dedicated "to the victims of fascism and war." Written in a time of personal and political turmoil, the Eighth is renowned for its deeply personal touch, with Shostakovich's signature motif - his name spelled out in musical notes - peppered throughout. The program closes with Beethoven's second Razumovsky Quartet, op. 59, no. 2, full of Slavic fire and ferocity.

- Freya Parr

Program
Shostakovich: Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, op. 110
Beethoven: Quartet in E Minor, op. 59, no. 2