Cork violist Séamus Hickey returns for a second tour with his outstanding Belgium-based Sonoro Quartet and they open with Beethoven’s third Rasoumovsky quartet, its virtuosic outer movements contrasted with an atmospheric funeral march and a quaintly old-fashioned minuet. Seán Doherty’s musical roots lie in the Donegal fiddle tradition and his quartet Devil’s Dream offers an exciting and authentic fusion of trad and classical. Shostakovich’s dark and powerful second quartet was written in 1944, its mood and dramatic vision clearly shaped by the ongoing tragedy of the second world war. The extraordinary last movement is devastating in its range and depth of expression.

Beethoven - Quartet Op.59 No.3 Rasoumovsky [1806]
Seán Doherty - Devil's Dream [2015]
Shostakovich - Quartet No.2 [1944]

Presented in association with Dublin International Chamber Music Festival

Supported by the Arts Council and RTE Lyric FM