Solem Quartet: Courage

Beethoven Bartók Now: Courage features the premiere of a brand new work from British-Lebanese composer Bushra El-Turk, composed for string quartet and kamancheh, alongside great works of the past.

Beethoven String Quartet No. 16, Op. 135
Bartók String Quartet no. 6
Bushra El-Turk Rostan, Rastan and Rast-Kara* (world premiere)

Bartók’s sixth and final quartet was written in 1939, at a time when the composer was watching Europe collapse with the unfolding catastrophe of World War II. Each movement begins with a theme marked “Mesto” (sad) and this theme’s first utterance notably ends with three notes directly quoted from Beethoven’s final quartet, op. 135, under which Beethoven wrote “Muss es sein?” (Must it be?). Yet despite this sadness, within both works are moments of profound hope.

Bushra El-Turk’s Rostan, Rastan and Rast-Kara is inspired by the ongoing revolution in Iran and the place of women in its society.
In this concert, the Solem Quartet expand to a quintet, with the addition of kamancheh player Faraz Eshghi, proving the ever-evolving nature of the string quartet, and the power of music to unite.

BBN: Courage is part of the Solem Quartet’s Beethoven Bartók Now series, which brings together the late quartets of Beethoven and the quartets of Bartók, uniquely reimagined with music from composers of today. Find out more: solemquartet.co.uk/bbn

Solem Quartet is an innovative and adventurous string quartet and one of the UK’s brightest artistic voices. We are happy to welcome them in residence this year, presenting three concerts of their work spanning Beethoven to Kate Bush. In addition to these concerts, Solem Quartet will offer coaching to talented young musicians in conjunction with Guildhall Young Artists Norwich.