Part of Czech Mates - Czech chamber music with Dante Quartet
kp45 concert
Dante Quartet
La Divina Commedia for string quartet
(London premiere)
Dmitri Smirnov Inferno
Elena Firsova Purgatorio
Alissa Firsova Paradiso
This unique work was composed last year for the Dante Quartet by a family of composers - husband, wife and daughter - from Russia. Although the three composers wrote independently, common musical motifs mysteriously emerged.
Inferno is a set of devilish variations, leading through the anguished wastes of Purgatorio to a gloriously voluptuous Paradiso.
'We have been writing commissions together as a family since 2005 when Martyn Brabbins came up with the idea for the Cheltenham festival. He asked us to write three different pieces for the festival but that they should all be linked up with a similar sound-world of basing our pieces on all of our initials: EF, DS and AF.
My brother Philip Firsov was simultaneously commissioned to create three paintings to go with the pieces. This idea was developed further in 2006 for the Dartington International Summer School when we were asked to write a Family Concerto for piano solo and an ensemble of string quartet, horn, clarinet and percussion. We each wrote a movement, and as it was the Shostakovich centenary year, this time the link between the movements was themes from Shostakovich's music. I performed the Family Concerto, and my brother painted 10 paintings to go with the piece, which were exhibited in Dartington.
Amongst the performers in the ensemble was the Dante Quartet! It was over a post-concert drink that my father became curious as to what the reason was behind their name, and half-jokingly asked them, "You are called the Dante Quartet! Why don't we write you a Divine Comedy?" It was seconds before this joke started to become reality. Peter Kingston from the Guardian was taking our interview after the concert, and overhearing this idea he asked me how serious it was, and of course I responded very enthusiastically. Days later an article came out in the Guardian called "Buy one, get two free!" and not long after that we received the commission from Liverpool University to write the Divine Comedy for the Dante Quartet which was to be premiered in the Liverpool City of Culture year 2008. My father wrote Hell, my mother wrote Purgatory, and I wrote Paradise! I cannot describe how special the event was for us all and how unique it feels to be part of a family of composers. We are all extremely excited to hear the Dante's Divine Comedy again in King's Place!' Alissa Firsova
"The Dantes capture the ecstatic intensity of Janacek's vision with an equally moving vulnerability." Harry Eyres, Last Word
"These [interpretations of Janacek's quartets] by the superb Dante Quartet, are suitably impassioned [with] greater intensity and tenderness [and] more alive to the lyricism that coexists with Janacek's harshest inventions." David Cairns, The Sunday Times
Dmitri Smirnov's photo by Kompozitor
Alissa Firsova's photo by Dmitri Smirnov
Choose where you would like to sit. Use our seating plan to choose your price and seat.
Only £9.50 (£6.50 for KP45 concerts) and ONLY available online. You are guaranteed a seat but its location will be allocated by Box Office and available for collection one hour before the performance.
Date: Friday 19 February
Time: 21:00
Venue: Hall One
Please note that online booking closes 90 minutes prior to the start of the performance.
