Our special guests the Takács Quartet open the Festival with one of Haydn’s sunniest quartets. Next, James Campbell (clarinet), Sergey Malov (viola) and Izabella Simon (piano) present Schumann’s set of four fairy tales. Written late in his life, the works show his mastery of whimsy and emotion. Clara Schumann remarked in her diary, ‘Today Robert completed four pieces for piano, clarinet and viola and was very happy about it. He thinks that this compilation will appear highly romantic’. And finally, the brilliant 18-year-old Dohnányi’s first chamber music work, this piano quintet, performed by Dénes Várjon and the New Zealand String Quartet. This work launched Dohnányi onto the international stage and earned Brahms’s comment, ‘I could not have done it better myself’.
Haydn – ‘Sunrise’ Quartet – Takács Quartet
Schumann – Märchenerzählungen – James Campbell (clarinet), Sergey Malov (viola), Dénes Várjon (piano)
Dohnányi – Piano Quintet No 1 in C minor – Dénes Várjon, New Zealand String Quartet
