Having previously premiered Vine’s dark and pensive String Quartet No.4, the Takács Quartet unveiled his Sixth Quartet with nine performances as part of a Musica Viva tour in August. A US premiere is scheduled at Carnegie Hall (who co-commissioned the piece with Musica Viva and The Seattle Commissioning Club) in October.
The new work’s emotional palette is a world away from that of the Fourth Quartet, and looks set to leave audiences uplifted, edified and elated. Unfolding over five movements the 20-minute work is subtitled ‘Child’s Play’, and takes its inspiration from the unbridled exuberance, unselfconscious concentration, and pure elation of infancy.
REVIEWS
‘Charming and engaging from start to finish… The music has an appealing, easy-listening quality that alternates between bustling, playful rhythms and soothing calmness.’
The Australian (Mark Coughlan), 14 August 2017
‘A sterling product from this fecund composer, its five segments a gripping and meaty construct.’
The Age (Clive O’Connell), 14 August 2017