The Emerson String Quartet (Eugene Drucker and Philip Setzer, violin; Lawrence Dutton, viola; and Paul Watkins, cello) are dazzling audiences on their nearly sold-out tour of Europe. The esteemed ensemble has earned rave reviews for their concerts in Denmark, Austria, Germany and Sweden, and now travel to Italy for three concerts on 18 (Florence), 19 (Rome) and 21 (Naples) November.
The Emersons are performing a series of programmes that include the Austrian premiere of Wernick’s String Quartet No. 10 and quartets by Bartók, Beethoven, Dvořák, Fanny Mendelssohn, Schubert and Shostakovich.
Tiroler Tageszeitung writes of the “fantastic” Innsbruck concert, that, “From the first few bars, the Emersons filled the packed hall with sheer magic. What a stunning sound. Each a virtuoso in his own right, the talents merge to form a whole. …As The Times (UK) notes, ‘with such musicians, there must still be hope for humanity.’”
Oberösterreichische Nachrichten notes that each member, “brings the different design elements together – from counterpoint to an soundscape. …[They] mediated the tonal variety and the formal structure of [Bartók’s String Quartet No. 5 (1934)] creating a fascinating perfection.
Oberösterreichisches Volksblatt was equally impressed by the “legendary ensemble’s” interpretation of the Bartók’s. They write, “Through the complex composition, they elicit musical surprises. ..The roaring approval of the audience impressively demonstrated where the roots of Bartók’s compositional art can be found.”
For more information and to purchase the few remaining tickets to the Italian concerts, please visit the venues below
18 November – Florence: Teatro della Pergola, F Mendelsson, Shostakovich, Dvořák
19 November – Rome: L’Aula Magna, Universita degli Studi di Roma “La Sapienza”; Dvořák, Bartók, Beethoven
21 November – Naples: Teatro Sannazaro, Schubert, Beethoven
