Takács Quartet Coming

Tue, 09 Nov 2004

WORLD'S BEST: Takács Quartet "Enough sonic electricity to light up Broadway" The Washington Post

Wellington Town Hall, Thursday 18 November, 8pm Auckland Town Hall, Saturday 20 November, 8pm

Programme

Haydn - String Quartet in C Opus 76 No 3 ŒEmperor¹ Bartók - String Quartet No 4 (1928) Mendelssohn - String Quartet No 2 in A minor Opus 13

Tickets $60 A reserve & $50 B Reserve Book at Ticketek Wgtn ph 04-384 3840 // Akld ph 09-307 5000 (service fees apply)

For more information, ph 0800 CONCERT (266 2378) or visit our website: http://www.chambermusic.co.nz/artists/63.php

Experience the intimacy of live chamber music, intense, in concert

------------------------------------ MEDIA RELEASE TO FOLLOW: ------------------------------------ MEDIA RELEASE: Takács Quartet release celebration CD For immediate release / 9 November 2004 / 112 words

The award-winning Takács Quartet has released a set of CD¹s to celebrate its visit to New Zealand and Australia later this month.

The four CD set, released on the Decca label, is titled "A Celebration" and is a summary of the quartet¹s career, spanning nearly 30 years. It features Haydn¹s ŒEmperor¹ quartet and Bartók¹s Fourth String Quartet, both of which will be performed by the group in its New Zealand performances.

The group, considered one of the world¹s best string quartets, perform in Wellington on Thursday 18 November and Auckland on Saturday 20 November. The Takács Quartet was last in New Zealand in 2000 to celebrate Chamber Music New Zealand¹s 50th anniversary.

About the Takács Quartet

The quartet¹s original lineup met in 1975 at the acclaimed Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Hungary ­ not in a practice room, but on a soccer field! Within two years of the group¹s formation, the quartet won First Prize and the Critic¹s Prize at the 1977 Evian International String Quartet Competition.

Since then the quartet has continued to win awards and accolades for its performances and recordings. Its recording of the Beethoven Early Quartets, Opus 18 1-6 won a Grammy award for the Best Chamber Music Album of 2002. The quartet has been Artist in Residence at the University of Colorado in Boulder since 1983.

Performing with long time friends has its advantages says viola player Roger Tapping. "You gradually learn each others¹ musical and technical proclivities, the smallest glance or gesture instantly communicates a musical wish Š of course you gradually acquire a body of shared touring experiences, which provide a fund of humour and shared memories."

For more information, ph 0800 CONCERT (266 2378) or visit www.chambermusic.co.nz.

Chamber Music New Zealand acknowledges major funding from Creative New Zealand.

"If you think quartet music is bloodless and lame, think again." - The London Times on Takács Quartet

"Enough sonic electricity to light up Broadway." - The Washington Post

PROGRAMME

HAYDN String Quartet in C Opus 76 No 3 ŒEmperor¹ BARTÓK String Quartet No 4 (1928) Interval MENDELSSOHN String Quartet No 2 in A minor Opus 13

CONCERT DATES

WELLINGTON Thursday 18 November @ 8pm Wellington Town Hall, A reserve $60, B reserve $50 Book at Ticketek (04) 384 3840 (service fees apply)

AUCKLAND Saturday 20 November @ 8pm Auckland Town Hall, A reserve $60, B reserve $50 Book at Ticketek (09) 307 5000 (service fees apply)

LINKS

Chamber Music New Zealand: http://chambermusic.co.nz/artists/63.php Takács Quartet homepage: http://www.takacsquartet.com Decca: http://www.deccaclassics.com

ENDS

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