DPO Principal String Quartet

DPAA presents an Intimate afternoon of Chamber Music at DAI

Dayton Performing Arts Alliance (DPAA) presents an intimate afternoon of chamber music featuring the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra’s Principal String Quartet on April 29 at 3:00 pm at Dayton Art Institute’s Mimi and Stuart Rose Auditorium. The concert features Anton Webern’s Langsamer Satz (1905) for String Quartet, Sergei Prokofiev’s String Quartet No. 2 in F Major, Op. 92 and Benjamin Britten’s String Quartet No. 2 in C Major, Op. 36.  Tickets are on sale now at daytonperformingarts.org; by calling (937) 228-3630; or at the door before the concert.

Dayton Philharmonic’s Principal String Quartet showcases the talents of acting concertmaster Aurelian Oprea; principal violin Kirstin Greenlaw; principal viola Sheridan Currie; and principal cello John Kurokawa.

“It is a great pleasure for the four of us to rehearse and learn this all-20th-century program,” said Aurelian Oprea. “We don’t usually have a chance to play chamber music during the season. So, rehearsing in such an intimate setting is very refreshing, especially after a few weeks spent in the pit of the Schuster Center playing large-scale works like Das Rheingold and Peter Pan.” 

The afternoon begins with Anton Webern’s Langsamer Satz (1905) for String Quartet. Inspired by a hike in the mountains outside of Vienna, Webern intended to compose a complete string quartet but set the piece aside after completing just one movement, the slow movement. Called a “little masterpiece” by some, Langsamer Satz explores a gamut of emotions from yearning and dramatic to tranquility.

Prokofiev’s String Quartet No. 2 was written at the request of a Soviet government official when Prokofiev and other Soviet artists were evacuated to Nalchik (900 miles south of Moscow) to avoid the Nazi invasion in 1941. Written in three movements, Prokofiev chose Karabardino-Balkar folk themes evidenced by the quartet’s imitation of Asian plucked and percussion instruments. String Quartet No. 2 in F Major, Op. 92 premiered in Moscow in 1942 and was called “an extremely turbulent success.”

Benjamin Britten composed his String Quartet No. 2 in C Major to commemorate the 250th anniversary of English composer Henry Purcell’s death, premiering Nov. 21, 1945. Considered one of the most important string quartets of the 20th century, Britten’s three-movement quartet nods to Purcell in the finale (third) movement by using a specific kind of variation known as a chaconne which Purcell referred to as “chacony.” A chacony consists of a theme and 21 variations divided into four sections by solo cadenzas by the violin, viola, and cello.

Links & Tags

Dayton Art Institute

DPO Principal String Quartet is taking place at Dayton Art Institute, which is located at 456 Belmonte Park North in Dayton. Dayton Art Institute - Committed to enriching the community by creating meaningful experiences with art that are available to all. Visit us often to enjoy our diverse collections, world class exhibits and more.

Dayton Performing Arts Alliance.

Dayton Performing Arts Alliance - The Philharmonic, Ballet, and Opera create art that celebrates life in the Dayton community.

Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra.

Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra - The Dayton Philharmonic is our regional orchestra under Music Director and Principal Conductor Neal Gittleman.