MANDELRING QUARTET CLASSICAL & ROMANTIC MASTERWORKS

8–10 March 2024 (mk 191)

The Castle Hotel, Taunton

Price: from £1,010

Speaker: Richard Wigmore

Sebastian Schmidt violin

Nanette Schmidt violin

Andreas Willwohl viola

Bernhard Schmidt cello

The award-winning Mandelring Quartet is renowned for expressivity and a remarkable homogeneity of sound. Through success at prestigious competitions early on in their career, the Quartet has garnered an international reputation and now has regular concert series at the Berlin Philharmonie and the Residenz in Munich. The ensemble has toured extensively and is frequently invited to perform at leading festivals. Their extensive recordings have received much critical acclaim, with their disc of Shostakovich’s complete quartets being regarded as a benchmark for the repertoire.

They have put together what could be regarded as a ‘classic Mandelring programme’ for their return to Taunton (their last appearance was in 2018) – a carefully curated selection of some of the most admired and greatest chamber works of the Classical and Romantic period: Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Haydn, Ravel, Debussy, Janáček, Dvořák. A line-up of works that could arguably only be tackled in the space of one weekend by the most experienced of ensembles.

Talks on the music are provided by music writer, lecturer and broadcaster Richard Wigmore . Richard writes for BBC Music Magazine and Gramophone and has taught at Guildhall, Trinity Laban and Birkbeck.

Programme

FRIDAY 8 MARCH, 5.30pm

Haydn, String Quartet Op.76 No.2 Fifths

Beethoven, String Quartet No.4 in C minor, Op.18 No.4

Ravel, String Quartet in F

SATURDAY 9 MARCH, 10.30am

Beethoven, String Quartet No.16 in F, Op.135

Dvořák, String Quartet No.12 in F, Op.96

The American

SATURDAY 9 MARCH, 5.30pm

Beethoven, String Quartet No.6 in B flat, Op.18 No.6

Janáček, String Quartet No.1 Kreutzer Sonata Mendelssohn, String Quartet in D, Op.44 No.1

SUNDAY 10 MARCH, 10.30am

Debussy, String Quartet in G minor, Op.10

Beethoven, String Quartet No.9 in C, Op.59 No.3 Razumovsky

CONTACT US: +44 (0)20 8742 3355

Practicalities

Prices, per person. Two sharing: standard double £1,010; Garden Room £1,230. Single occupancy: single bedded room £1,010; double for sole use £1,130.

Included: four concerts, talks on the music, accommodation for two nights, breakfasts, two afternoon teas, two dinners, interval drinks, programme, tips for hotel staff.

Start and finish times. The event begins on Friday 8th March with afternoon tea available from 3.00–5.00pm (check in is from 3.00pm). The final concert ends at c. 12.30pm on Sunday 10th March.

Tickets to individual concerts: £30 mornings, £35 evenings. Interval refreshments and a programme are also included.

Hotel information: see page 10.

Booking information: see page 13.

Audience member at the Mandelring Quartet’s previous appearance in Taunton.