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The Seven Last Words of Christ

Casals Quartet

Casals Quartet 2018 group image

The Casals Quartet’s playing has been described as refreshing and exhilarating. This evening of musical and literary drama promises to be no exception, with added gravitas from readings by Fiona Shaw.

Haydn’s Seven Last Words are more than just a series of beautiful and moving musical reflections on timeless and tragic themes. They’re a test of any string quartet’s ability to find a deeper meaning beneath the notes they play. In a juxtaposition of sacred and profane, Haydn’s masterpiece will be interwoven with extracts from Colm Tóibín’s The Testament of Mary, a lyrical work also searching for another level in a familiar story.

Olivier Award winner Shaw is the perfect complement to the Casals Quartet’s fresh but searching approach, and their intense emotional commitment to everything they play. Haydn imagined this cycle of Passiontide pieces being performed in a grotto draped in black, lit by a single lantern – but this superb combination of artists will not fail to generate their own sense of drama.

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Barbican Sessions: Timo-Veikko Valve

 

In our latest session, Timo-Veikko Valve, principal cello at the Australian Chamber Orchestra, performs JS Bach's Sarabande from Suite No.4 for Unaccompanied Cello BWV1010 in E-flat Major at Milton Court.

an orchestra playing classical music in the barbican hall in central london

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Milton Court Concert Hall

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