Four By Four

A pair of 20th century masterworks hold space with two lyrical works by iconic living composers. A widely loved work by pioneering minimalist Terry Riley, made popular by his longtime collaborators Kronos Quartet, G Song is hypnotic and dance-like as it blends the dizzying melodicism of North Indian music and familiar classical forms. Dmitri Shostakovich’s concise and emotional String Quartet No. 7, written in memory of his first wife, is followed by the colorfully ethereal sound-world of Erwin Schulhoff’s first String Quartet, infused with neoclassical tinges and the folk melodies of his Czech homeland. Thanks Victor, a short-and-sweet reflection on “When I Fall In Love” and the Great American Songbook, is an homage to Tin Pan Alley composer Victor Young from John Harbison, one of America’s most celebrated contemporary composers.​

Terry Riley — G Song (1980)
Dmitri Shostakovich — String Quartet No. 7, Op. 108 (1960)
Erwin Schulhoff — String Quartet No. 1 (1924)
John Harbison — ​Thanks, Victor (1994) 

Jennifer Elowitch, violin
Sunghae Anna Lim, violin
Noriko Futagami, viola 
Rhonda Rider, cello