Travel

 

The Rubens Quartet has chosen the theme of Travel for its 2011-12 season. Guided with verbal interludes by a member of the quartet, you will explore the various meanings and evolutions of travel throughout the centuries, ranging from everyday travel, touring, forced travel due to political circumstances, and the natural travel through the decades of one's own life.  

 

 

Program 1: Life's travel.  You will travel with us alongside the metaphysical musings of the composer.

  • Bach – Selections from The Art of the Fugue
  • Mozart – String Quartet in C, KV 465 "Dissonance"
  • Roukens – "Visions at Sea" (2011)
  • Beethoven – String Quartet in A minor, Op. 132

Program 2: Voyage by ship. The renowned tradition of Dutch trade was born via the shipping routes of the Golden Age. In this program we invite you to join us on a rediscovery of the great oceans.

  • Bartok – Quartet No. 4 
  • Roukens – "Visions at Sea", commissioned by the Scheepvaartmuseum (ship museum) in Amsterdam 
  • Dvorak – String Quartet in F, Op. 96 "American"

Program 3: The Orient Express: Paris-Vienna-Budapest-Istanbul (1883-1977). This train route, which was in use for almost a century, is the key to an unusual and colorful combination of European works!

  • Webern – Langsamer Satz (Vienna)
  • Bartok – Quartet No. 4 (Budapest) or Debussy/Ravel – String Quartet (Paris)
  • Erkin – String Quartet (Istanbul)
  • Komitas and Kyurkchisky – Miniatures for String Quartet (an Armenian in Istanbul and Paris/Bulgaria)

Traditional

 

The Rubens Quartet is deeply rooted in the rich tradition of the European string quartet literature. With unending love and inspiration we play the great repertoire, from Haydn to Kurtág. In addition to the themed programs mentioned above, we also offer a traditional concert program as follows:

  • Haydn – String Quartet tbd

  • Beethoven – String Quartet in A minor, Op. 132

  • Dvorák – String Quartet in F, Op. 96 "American"


Given that we also enjoy building artistic bridges through different centuries and styles, and finding unexpected connections between them, you can also choose for a more adventurous version, namely:

  • Mozart – String Quartet in C, KV 465, "Dissonance"

  • Erkin – String Quartet

  • Debussy – String Quartet

 

For more information, please contact the Rubens Quartet directly at