Danish String Quartet

Embodying the quintessential elements of chamber music, the Danish String Quartet has established a reputation for their integrated sound, impeccable intonation and judicious balance. This legendary quartet returns to String Theory for a program pairing two chamber music masterpieces that reveal strikingly different musical worlds.

Ravel’s String Quartet in F Major is often considered the French composer’s first masterpiece and remains one of the most beloved works in the chamber music repertoire. Rich harmonies and vivid textures are elevated by Ravel’s remarkable command of color, using the four instruments with an almost orchestral imagination to create a sound world far larger than the ensemble itself.

Written during a period of political uncertainty, Shostakovich’s Piano Quintet unfolds through stark contrasts – from the solemn grandeur of its opening and searching fugue to passages of biting wit and unexpected warmth. Pianist Gloria Chien joins this celebrated quartet for this performance of one of the Russian composer’s most personal and enduring chamber works.