Borromeo Quartet Play Bartok

Bartok’s cycle of six string quartets is an artistic milestone of the 20th century. Hear a great 21st century quartet interpret them in two concerts.

• Sunday, April 13,  4 p.m. First Church, Jaffrey: Bartok Quartets nos 1, 2 and 4
• Sunday, May 4, 4 p.m. Congregation Ahavas Achem: Bartok quartets nos. 3,5 and 6

The visionary performances of the Borromeo String Quartet have established it as one of the most important string quartets of our time. The Chicago Tribune calls the Borromeo “a remarkably accomplished string quartet, not simply for its high technical polish and refined tone, but more importantly for the searching musical insights it brings.” The San Diego Reader calls their performances “a musical experience of luminous beauty,” and the Boston Globe says “Each of the greatest string quartets has redefined what the possibilities of the medium are: through the perfection of its ensemble and intonation, through its poise and its passion, the Borromeos are recreating the medium anew and we are lucky to be here to hear it.”

Audiences and critics alike champion the Borromeo’s ability to bring back the contemporary fire to often-heard repertoire, while making even the most challenging new music approachable. “To hear and see them perform has always felt to me like taking a private tour through a composer’s mind,” says Cathy Fuller, Classical New England host on WGBH, Boston’s famed NPR station. “They probe and analyze from every angle until they discover how to best unveil the psychological, physical, and spiritual states that a great piece of music evokes. They’re champions of new music…but they also thrive on making the old classics sound vital and fresh.”