The ECSQ Plays Mozart, Reed Parry & Shostakovich (Fredericton)

We are absolutely thrilled to kickstart our 4th season with a powerful program that explores the extremes of vulnerability, beauty, and human resilience through the voice of the string quartet. The concert opens with Mozart’s String Quartet No. 15 in D minor, K. 421, a jewel of the classical repertoire that is said to have been completed while his wife was in labour with their first child. Like a timestamp, the quartet captures a pivotal moment in Mozart’s short life, and highlights his gift for transforming personal experience into timeless beauty.

Richard Reed Parry’s Quartet for Heart and Breath is a meditative pause in the program. Reed Parry is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist and composer famously known as the bass player for the band Arcade Fire. His groundbreaking work is performed wearing stethoscopes, where the performers synchronize their playing with the natural rhythms of their own bodies—heartbeats and breaths. The result is music that feels alive, fragile, and deeply human.

The program concludes with Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Op. 110. Written during a period of political and personal turmoil, this quartet is both an autobiographical statement and a reflection on suffering, resilience, and the human spirit. Both haunting and deeply moving, this quartet has become one of the most profound quartets of the 20th century. Together, these three works form a journey across centuries and styles, bound by their emotional honesty and exploration of the human experience.

String Quartet No. 15, K. 421  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
I. Allegro moderato
II. Andante
III. Menuetto and Trio
IV. Allegretto ma non troppo - Più allegro

Quartet for Heart and Breath Richard Reed Parry

- Intermission -

String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Op. 110 Dmitri Shostakovich
I. Largo
II. Allegro molto
III. Allegretto
IV. Largo
V. Largo

Advance ticket sales close September 19th at 12:00PM. Tickets are available at the door.
La vente de billets à l'avance se termine le 19 septembre à 12h00. Les billets sont disponibles à la porte.

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