Bridge Chamber Music Festival - Festival Concert I

Festival Concert I features the Artaria String Quartet and WindWorks. This program consists of Ludwig van Beethoven's Quartet in C minor, Op. 18 #4 and Dmitry Shostakovich's Quartet #14 in F sharp minor, Op. 142, both performed by the Artaria String Quartet . WindWorks will perform Paquito D'Rivera “Aires Tropicales.” The concert will take place on Sunday, August 19, at St. John's Lutheran Church starting at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $5 at the door.

Of interest for this concert: Artaria continues to celebrate its 25th anniversary with the performance of the complete cycle of quartets by Dmitry Shostakovich. This event is sponsored by the Schubert Club in St. Paul, Minnesota. Shostakovich, who matched wits with Stalin and ultimately became an international figure and musical icon of the Soviet Union, is especially known for his intensely powerful and deeply introspective music, of which his 15 string quartets are a prime example. Ludwig van Beethoven composed his Op. 18 quartets in 1799, when his fame was just beginning to spread throughout Europe and coincidentally when his looming deafness was first noticeable. The 4th quartet is the most "Romantic" and stormy of the set, seeming to lay the foundation for the 19th century. Paquito D'Rivera is a composer born in Cuba who has achieved notable success especially for his works for wind instruments. The Aires Tropicales contains references to popular music styles in a lighthearted tone.

For more information on the Bridge Chamber Music Festival, visit bridgechamberfestival.org or visitingnorthfield.com. The Bridge Chamber Music Festival is supported by a grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council through funds from the Minnesota State Legislature.

Content supplied by David Carter.