Mozart’s String Quartet in D minor is one of the richest works in the group of six that the composer famously dedicated to Haydn in 1785.
Mendelssohn’s String Quartet in A minor was written by a precocious 18-year-old in 1827, when he was fired up by the late quartets of Beethoven.
The historically concerned players of Alina Ibragimova’s Chiaroscuro Quartet bring the works closer together than you might expect, handling the Mendelssohn in a way that’s more tonally austere than usual, the Mozart in a way that’s more personal and romantic.
Common to both is the deep consideration to which the music has been subjected, and the players’ willingness to embrace unorthodox outcomes.
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Don’t expect an easy or uncontroversial ride in either piece.
